“It would be most welcome if, in the future, the three key ministries and departments—the Northern Provincial Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs, the Provincial Tourism Bureau, and the Ministry of Agriculture—could come together to celebrate Thai Pongal as the ‘main festival’ of the Northern Province,” said the Hon. Governor of the Northern Province, N. Vethanayahan.
Organized by the Cultural Affairs Unit of the Northern Province Ministry of Education, Cultural Affairs, Sports and Youth Affairs, the “Northern Province Pongal Festival – 2026” was held in a grand manner today – on Sunday 18 January 2026, at the historic Mannar Thiruketheeswaram Temple.
The event commenced with the traditional Tamil Puthireduththal ceremony held in the Paddy fields, followed by the Pongal ceremony conducted in front of the temple. Thereafter, special prayers were offered to Lord Thiruketheeswara.
The Governor, who attended the stage event as the chief guest and addressed the gathering, stated:
“This year, Thai Pongal is a particularly special and hopeful festival for the people of our Northern Province. In keeping with the ancient saying, ‘When the month of Thai begins, a new path opens,’ the President of the country, His Excellency Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has celebrated Thai Pongal together with our people in Jaffna.”
He did not come merely to take part in a festive celebration. He initiated the process of providing compensation to our farmers and livestock breeders who were affected by the ‘Ditwah’ cyclone that struck late last year. He also laid the foundation stone for housing projects for people rendered homeless by the war and distributed cheques to the beneficiaries.
Above all, he has launched a national initiative to completely eradicate the deadly drugs that are destroying our younger generation. In light of these constructive steps taken by the President, the Tamil people place great faith in his leadership.
The Pongal festival is a “unique festival” of our nation for the Tamil people. It should be celebrated in our province in an even better and grander manner in the years to come. Thai Pongal is the festival of farmers; it is our culture; it is our identity.
Therefore, in the future, the Northern Province Ministry of Agriculture, the Northern Province Tourism Bureau, and the Department of Cultural Affairs should come together to organize this festival as a joint initiative. Through such collaboration, we can honor our agricultural pioneers, showcase our art and culture to the world, and at the same time strengthen spiritual and cultural tourism, thereby attracting more visitors to our province.
The Mannar District is the “rice bowl” of our province. Pongal is a festival of gratitude to nature and a celebration of our farmers—the “walking gods” who sustain us with food. However, we are now witnessing the consequences of our excessive exploitation of nature in the form of a serious threat known as climate change. The once-predictable rainy seasons are no longer reliable, and the natural order has been profoundly disrupted.
Therefore, we are compelled to adapt our farming and animal husbandry practices to the changing climate. While preserving our ancient traditional methods, we must also embrace modern scientific approaches that are resilient to current climate challenges. This Pongal serves as a reminder that living in harmony with nature is the best path forward.
Today’s celebrations began with the lighting of the auspicious lamp, followed by a welcome dance performed by the students of Saveriyar Girls’ School, Mannar. After the welcome address by the Assistant Director of Cultural Affairs, Mrs. N. Dharshini, the keynote address was delivered by the Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Northern Province, Mr. M. Patrick Diranjan.
This was followed by the Suriya Vanakkam Dance performed by the students of Thiru Ambalakoothan Dance College, Mannar. Mannar District Secretary K. Kanageshwaran delivered the Guest of Honour speech. Next, the Mahilviththu Makilvoom dance was performed by the students of Thiruketheeswaram Sivanarul Illam, followed by the special guest address from Chief Secretary of the Northern Province, Mrs. Thanuja Murugesan.
The program continued with a series of traditional performances: Oyilattam by the students of Bharathakalalaya Dance School, Enthal dance by the students of Kalaiyaruvi, Kadamba dance by the students of Kalarppana Dance School, and Kolattam by the students of Theensa Thiruthiyodayam Kalamanthir.
As part of the event, equipment was distributed to selected art and sports clubs under the Provincial Specific Development Grant (PSDG) fund of the Northern Provincial Council. The celebrations concluded with a folk dance performance by the students of Sri Siththi Vinayagar Moral School, alongside the inauguration of traditional sports competitions.
The event was attended by the Chief Secretary of the Northern Province, Mrs. Thanuja Murugesan; the Secretary to the Provincial Ministry of Education, Northern Province, Mr. M. Patrick Diranjan; Mannar District Secretary, K. Kanageshwaran; Additional Government Agent of Mannar District, M. Pradeep; Assistant District Secretary of Mannar District; Assistant Director of the Northern Province Cultural Affairs Unit, Mrs. N. Dharshini; Director of the Northern Province Sports Department, P. Mukunthan; heads of various departments; and a large number of public.
