Multicultural events are in full swing in Narre Warren South as the community came together to celebrate Pongal at the Tamil Multicultural Harvest Festival.
Narre Warren South MP Gary Maas was pleased to be representing the Minister for Multicultural Affairs Richard Wynne at the gathering on 9 February.
Also in attendance were councillor Rex Flannery, deputy mayor for the City of Casey, and Shankar Kasynathan, commissioner from the Victorian Multicultural Commission.
The event which was held by the Valluvar Foundation at Casey Central Town Park showcased Indian and Sri Lankan stage performers and traditional ceremonial activities to mark the beginning of Harvest season.
Dr Bhuvana Sugumaran, founding director, represented the Valluvar Foundation which is a not-for-profit group that works with Victoria’s Tamil community. The Foundation helps to promote, preserve and facilitate Tamil culture, heritage and language in the community.
Mr Maas commended the hard work of volunteer community groups such as the Valluvar Foundation and thanked them for assisting new migrants in the City of Casey.
City of Casey is home to over 150 different cultural backgrounds which incorporate 120 different faiths. In the Narre Warren South community, over 41 percent of residents were born outside of Australia.
This event received State Government funding under the 2019-20 Multicultural Festivals and Events program.
Mr Maas said he was honoured to be a part of the event.
“Pongal celebrations provide a great opportunity for multicultural engagement in our community, and it was fantastic to see the many aspects of Tamil culture on display,” he said.
