MELAKA: Eight mega activities and events, involving arts and culture of the Indian community, will be held during the Visit Melaka Year 2024 (TMM2024) to showcase a variety of attractions for both local and foreign visitors to the state.
TMM2024 Indian Community Programmes Coordinating Committee chairman, V.P. Shanmugam, said the programmes are being organised to show the uniqueness of the community's arts and culture as well as to foster unity among the multi-ethnic communities in the state and country.
He said among the programmes lined up are the Ponggal Festival, Deepavali Festival and Bazaar, Navarathri Festival as well as Thaipusam.
"For the Ponggal Festival slated to be held in Banda Hilir in January, we are targeting more than 10,000 visitors, as this festival is not a religious one but a harvest festival for the Indian community.
"During the festival, 200 pots of 'pongal' (sweet boiled rice) will be cooked. The organisation of this festival will provide an insight for other races regarding the celebrations," he told reporters when met at a programme to contribute festive clothes for Deepavali to 35 less fortunate students from six Tamil primary schools around Melaka, here today (November 8).
Elaborating further, Shanmugam said the organisation of the programme and activities in conjunction with TMM2024 is one of the contributions of Indians in the state as part of efforts to help promote tourism in Melaka.
Earlier, he said the Deepavali clothes donation programme has been carried out for the past 10 years and is aimed at relieving the burden of parents in preparing for the festival.
He said students involved are selected by their school teachers based on their family background.
Meanwhile, Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Tamil) Alor Gajah teacher S.Thevarani accompanied five students, aged seven to 12, to a clothing store to buy new clothes.
"As a teacher, I had tears in my eyes seeing their excitement in getting new clothes for Deepavali because their families could not afford to make such preparations.
"The students were obviously excited to be able to choose their own clothes and pick the colours they liked.
"Thank you to all parties for helping and showing concern for the less fortunate," she added. – Bernama
