GEORGE TOWN – S. Ganesh, his wife, Parameswary, and their three children celebrated Ponggal in comfort this year after aid from the Penang Hindu Endowment Board streamed in before the Tamil harvest celebration.
With ingredients such as sugar cane and sweet rice provided for, Parameswary woke up early to cook up two pots of sweet rice. She plans to distribute the sweets to their neighbours.
“This year's Ponggal presented fewer hardships because a lot of aid came in. We are very happy to be in this home after living in the car for some time. We will be doing our Ponggal prayers with the family later in the evening. My mother-in-law will be coming later to help distribute the sweet rice as well,” she told The Vibes.
Penang Hindu Association (PHA) president P. Murugiah praised and thanked the state government and the Penang Hindu Endowment Board (PHEB) for their continuous support for the needy, and for helping Ganesh and his family get back on their feet.
The family recently received keys to their own People's Housing Programme (PPR) unit provided by the state Housing Department. But Ganesh had declined an offer for free furniture that came with conditions.
Knowing this, the PHEB sponsored the family with furniture and household items, such as a prayer altar, electrical items and kitchen utensils costing about RM5,000. It also bought items needed for the Ponggal celebrations today.
Murugiah said as the Covid-19 pandemic weigh heavily on the poor, Ganesh and his family are not the only ones being pushed into poverty, with more people finding themselves out of a job and unable to pay rent. He said the PHA has received five requests for help from families in the past week alone.
In light of the harvest festival, Murugiah advised those celebrating today to remember their parents, some of whom live in old folks homes.
“My message is for them to take care of their parents. Visit them or bring them back to your houses to celebrate Ponggal with them. Senior citizen’s homes have called us up and told us that children are not visiting their parents during New Year or other celebrations. You can even make the sweet rice and bring it to them. They brought you up and gave you an education, so don’t treat them as strangers.
“If you neglect them, there is no point for you to go to the temple.”
Ponggal is a four-day festival celebrated by Hindus by boiling the first rice of the season in milk. Other condiments added to the rice include cane sugar, raisins, lentils and cashews, among others. It is a thanksgiving ceremony for the year's harvest. – The Vibes, January 14, 2021
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