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Iconic London monument lit up for Tamil Heritage Month and Thai Pongal

 

Nelson's Column, the iconic monument in central London's popular Trafalgar Square, was lit up with a projection celebrating Thai Pongal and Tamil Heritage Month on Saturday.

The projections featured imagery symbolising Thai Pongal, the Tamil geometric art form of Kolam and the karthigaipoo - the national flower of Tamil Eelam.

Tamil Heritage Month was introduced to London last year by the London Assembly, and is being marked by boroughs across the capital with significant Tamil communities.

Thai Pongal is a secular Tamil festival which gives thanks to the sun and for the harvest and dates back in its current form to at least as far back as the Medieval Chola empire. The occasion is marked by boiling milk and rice - the 'pongal' - in a clay pot, often accompanied by various other treats and seasonal fruit. 

British MPs and politicians have also released statements to mark the festival, thanking the British Tamil community for their tremendous contribution to life in the UK and renewing their commitment to justice and accountability in for Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Read more here: British MPs celebrate Thai Pongal and renew calls for accountability

 

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