Ponggal celebration in the parishes

Jan 29, 2015

By Bernard Anthony
The Kuala Lumpur Archbishop, His Grace Julian Leow joined Catholics at the Chapel of Our Lady of Good Health (OLGH) on Jan 18 to celebrate the annual Ponggal festival.

Archbishop Leow presided at the evening Mass celebrated in Tamil, English and Bahasa Malaysia. Concelebrants were OLGH Chapel Administrator Fr Christopher W. Soosaipillai, Fr Albet Arockiasamy from Christ the Light Chapel and visiting Myanmarese priest Fr Bernard.

Prior to the 5.30pm Mass, the congregation assembled at the main entrance to pray and witness the ‘boiling of ponggal.’ Ponggal is a sweet concoction of rice, cashew nuts, raisins and milk. This harvest festival is celebrated as a communal thanksgiving, of being grateful to God for all the fruits of the earth and also an opportunity to thank God for His guidance andabundant blessings for life.

The front entrance was adorned with a kolam, Agal Villaku, a light symbol made of coloured rice, which can mean the light of Christ, to brighten up our lives from the darkness of sin. The colourful kolam was the effort of the youths.

During the Presentation of Gifts, a variety of produce was brought up as a symbol of thanksgiving to our God Almighty for His marvellous blessings bestowed on His people.

All present were also feted to a banana leaf vegetarian meal with ponggal, after Mass, at the chapel grounds. The prelate also spent time mingling with the parishioners.