SERIES OF EVENTS UNFOLD IN JAFFNA IN LINE WITH NATIONAL THAI PONGAL DAY

The state festival to celebrate Thai Pongal was held this year in high profile in Jaffna on 15 January 2023.

President Ranil Wickrwemasinghe who visited Jaffna on 15 January 2023 to attend the state religious event marking this year’s Pongal Day and few more scheduled events was received by Minister Douglas Devanda along with Secretary to Ministry of Defence, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), and Tri Service Commanders at the Palaly Air Port and thereafter Honorable President Ranil Wickremasinghe met the religious leaders in the peninsular.

Pongal is a festival that Tamil community all over the world celebrate in showing their gratitude to the sun for its contribution improve the harvest, the contribution of the rain to make it more fertile, and to show gratitude to the cattle and animals contributing for a better harvest.

The cultural event that was organized in the evening at the Durga Hall, Nallur to symbolize the State Thai Pongal celebration was graced with the presence of Honorable President Ranil Wickremasinghe.

After the cultural event, Hon President attended a discussion at the District Secretariat, Jaffna on land issues in the Northern Province giving more significance to the visit.

The Presidential Advisor, Hon Sagala Rathnayake, State Minister of Defence, Hon Premitha Banadara Tennakoon, Secretary to the President, Mr Saman Ekanayake, Defence Secretary, General Kamal Gunaratne (Retd) WWV RWP RSP USP ndc psc MPhil, Chief of Defence Staff, General Shavendra Silva WWV RWP RSP VSV USP ndc psc MPhil, Tri Service Commanders, state officials and many political representatives also attended the events.