JEDDAH — The Jeddah Tamil Sangam (JTS) organized its annual celebrations as part of the Chithirai Kalai Vizha (Chithirai Art Festival) 2015 on the premises of the Indian Consulate General recently. A large number of Tamil community members with their families were present along with people from many other states to witness the annual celebration of Tamil culture. Consul General B.S. Mubarak, who was the chief guest on the occasion, said he was delighted to see fellow Indians from other states attending the function in a show of solidarity among Indians living in the Kingdom. The program started with the recitation of the Holy Qur'an by Master Faheem Ahmed Ali. This was followed by “Tamil Thai Vazhththu” with background score by Master Hardeep Singh on the keyboard. Parthibane and Sangeetha Jerald, who were the masters of ceremony, captured the audience's attention with their zeal and humorous interjections. The welcome speech by Vijayan reminded the audience of the style of speech in Dravidian Tamil. Dr. Syed Ahmed, medical director of Al Abeer Medical Group, praised Tamil social activities in Jeddah in general and the support extended by JTS to the needy people of the community. Guest of honor Liaqakth Ali Khan held the audience spell-bound with his thought-provoking speech. A vote of thanks was given by Dr. Jerald Wilson before the cultural activities began. The children exhibited their talent with their unique dancing skills. Choreographed by Srividya Murali, they brought back many old Tamil numbers to memory. A kids' group dance choreographed Shanti Parthibane and Shanti Subramaniam mesmerized the audience. Abdul Latheef and Mohd Shareef alias Achu sang some beautiful numbers making the evening melodious. A Rajasthani drum dance, choreographed by Pushpa Suresh, showcased the tremendous talent of the girls. “Mission Impossible,” a theme-based conceptualization by Kovai Ganesh, was well received by the audience. A foot-thumping dance led by young boys Sadhasivam Parthibane and Satheesh Subramaniam was excellent and much appreciated. Dubliwale dubli baja number, an overwhelming performance choreographed by Shelna Vijay, glued the audience to their seats. Srividya staged another dance with a popular Tamil number to finish the cultural program with a big applause. Thangam released his health awareness book by presenting the first copy to the chief guest. All the sponsors of the program were honored by the JTS executive committee. The guests handed certificates to all participants of the cultural program and the choreographers were honored with plaques. M. Siraj coordinated the program. Finally, “Chithirai Kalai Vizha 2015” ended with a sumptuous dinner. — SG
