On October 29, 2022, at 5.30 pm at Freemans Bay Community Centre, Auckland
Venkat Raman
Auckland, October 17, 2022
Members and guests of Muthtamil Sangam in Auckland can expect an evening of cultural programmes and ‘Tamil Dinner’ at the annual Summer Festival next weekend.
‘Kodai Vizha’ will be held from 5.30 pm at Freemans Bay Community Centre located at 52 Hepburn Street in Auckland City. Tickets, priced at $15 per adult member and $17 per adult guest are now on sale. Children below five years of age will be admitted free of charge. The ticket cost includes dinner. For further information, please call Secretary Kathiravan Sam on 021-1665166.
Email: muthtamilsangam@gmail.com; Website: https://muthtamilsangam.co.nz
Competition and Entertainment
Mr Kathiravan said that Professor Chellaraj Benjamin, Radiation Oncologist at Auckland Hospital and MercyAscot Hospital will be the Chief Guest at the event.
“Professor Benjamin is one of the foremost members of the Tamil community and has been involved in many community and social welfare projects. It is a great pleasure and honour and appropriate for Muthtamil Sangam to have him as a principal guest at the forthcoming Kodai Vizha. We look forward to receiving him along with his wife Shylaja,” he said.
He said that among the highlights of the event will be the performance of ‘Moksha Base.’
About Moksha Base
Established in 2012, Moksha Base is a unique music group, the members of which share their passion for music. As well as playing a variety of musical instruments and singing songs corresponding to almost every format including songs from Indian films, and classical fusions of Western, Hip-Hop, Rock, the Group has to its credit its own compositions and cover numbers.
Over the past eight years, Moksha Base has performed at packed houses in Auckland and Hamilton and an online performance for the Dunedin Tamil Society.
Since October 2019, the Group has published three original musical videos.
The Artistes
The twelve-member group should not be taken lightly as just melody-makers. Among them are high-end IT professionals, engineers, medical practitioners, consultants, accountants, biotech and biochemistry experts and other providers who keep the wheels of the economy moving.
The artistes include, in alphabetical order, Abhishek Raj, Anjali Abhilash, Ashwin Ramesh, Aswathy Sasidharan, Ayesha Bint Ahmed, Jay Dev, Maathangi Parthasarathi, Ranjini Vasanthan, Shankar Narayanan, Shelin Shelz, Sivakumar Sangameshwaran and Vasanthan Raghuveeran.
About Muthtamil Sangam
Auckland’s Muthtamil Sangam completed 21 years as a Registered Society in September 2022 and has been active even during the Covid-19 lockdown with its Radio and online programmes and projects. The office-bearers and members continued to be active on the social platform and exchange a number of educative and entertainment information.
Members of the Sangam, who are proud of their heritage and language, have fostered a new sense and spirit of unity during the past four weeks of lockdown.
Impressive leadership
The Sangam was formed at a time when the Tamil population was on the threshold of demographic change, with a larger number of people of Tamil Nadu origin originating from their home state and other parts of the world, Tamilians from South East Asia, Indian ocean States and others. Their lack of interest in any kind of politics then, allowed the Sangam to grow and as the only organisation representing Tamils (other than those from Sri Lanka, for whom there is another, older Association exists in the City), Muthtamil Sangam enjoyed exclusive membership until about five years ago.
The Sangam has had the benefit of the leadership of a cross-section of the community, who have served – and continue to serve- in various offices.
Significant activities
President Sadasivam Kutty said that since its inception, Muthtamil Sangam has been striving to preserve, protect and promote the Tamil language, culture and people, with ‘Being happy together’ as the motto.
“These include Pongal Vizha, Kodai Vizha, Chithirai Vizha, other festivals, picnics, competitions, and participation in the programmes organised by others. As a socially responsible organisation, the Sangam conducts blood donation camps every year, and participates in Environmental cleaning activities organised by the Auckland Regional Parks and Reserves,” he said.
Weekly Tamil classes
Mr Kathiravan said that the Association considers it a ‘sacred duty’ to carry the language to the next generation.
“As a part of our efforts in this connection, we conduct weekly Tamil classes for children. We are grateful to our senior member Senthil Nathan for conducting these classes with the help and support of teachers who teach the language on a voluntary, community service basis,” he said.
Mr Sam said that classes are held on Saturdays from 230 pm and 330 pm at Ranfurly Road, Epsom, Auckland and that Mr Nathan has established the ‘Padi Murai Tamil,’ or step-by-step learning method.
Radio Programme
The Sangam launched its radio service (soon after its establishment) broadcasting on Planet FM 104.6 on Saturdays from 7.50 am to 8.25 am.
Called, ‘Sangam,’ the Programme is being managed by Maninilavan Arivukkarasu (who has held various positions in the Association including that of President) and presented by Raja Mani.
“Our Radio programme is presented by volunteers. This is a weekly occasion to listen to ‘Thirukkural,’ the most extensive and widely translated couplets. Written by Thiruvalluvar more than 1700 years ago, the 1330 couplets cover every aspect of every living being, nature, and the ways and means of maintaining a healthy environment. The Radio Programme is also used to carry announcements, forthcoming events of Muthtamil Sangam,” he said.
People anywhere in the world can listen to the programme online current programme and up to three earlier broadcasts. Please visit www.planetaudio.org.nz/muthtamilsangam.
Planet FM MobileApp can also be downloaded onto mobile and other devices. It is free.
The current Officer-bearers of Muthtamil Sangam are Sadasivam Kutty (President), Sree Swami (Vice-President), Kathiravan Sam (Secretary), Ramasubramanian Narayanaraja (Treasurer), Ganesh Vasudevan, Jayaraaman Madhavarajan, Lakshman Sockalingam, Sai Eshwar Subramaniam Natarajan and Usha Shyam (Executive Committee Members)
