Thai Pongal 2025

On Sunday, February 9, we invited the Tamil community to join us in celebrating Thai Pongal.

Students performed Bharatanatyam, Kavadi, and Tamil folk dances. We served traditional food, including sweet rice pudding known as Pongal, and children and adults took part in games. Thai Pongal is a harvest festival that expresses gratitude to nature and farm animals, highlighting the importance of agriculture. The festival is an opportunity to give thanks to the sun and celebrate the harvest of important crops like rice, sugarcane and turmeric - honouring the agricultural community and recognising their hard work in growing these crops.

Special guests at the event included former Mayor of Hatfield Cllr Pankit Shah, Cllr Karthik Bonkur and Pathanchali Navendran, the founder of the UK Kamban Kalakam and the OFAAL (Oriential Fine Arts Academy of London) committee.

Cllr Shah said: "I was delighted to attend the auspicious occasion of Tamil Thai Pongal for the newly opened Hatfield Tamil School.

"My heartfelt appreciation to the headteacher and all the teachers for their hard work in creating this place for learning and growth.

"And to all the parents, for encouraging their children to embrace their mother tongue and to all the students for taking the pride in learning with passion."