Provincial Folk Dance festival held in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 September 2004, 10:41 GMT]
Northeast Provincial Folk Dance Festival was held Saturday evening in Trincomalee St.Mary's College Therese Auditorium under the auspices of Provincial Department of Education. Schools which won the district level competitions participated in the provincial level final competitions held Saturday morning and the winners were awarded prizes and certificates in the Folk Dance Festival held later the same day.

Folk dance troupe of Chenkaladi Central College which won the first place in "Vadamodi" section.

At the commencement of the festival, Director of Education for Tamil Language Unit in the Ministry of Education in Colombo Mr. N.Nadarajah, Provincial Director of Education Mr.R.Visahalingam, Additional Provincial Director of Education Mr.T. Ponnambalam and Trincomalee Zonal Director of Education Mr.K.Thilakaretnam were taken in a procession to the auditorium in procession led by Trincomalee Sri Koneswara Hindu College Tamil music band.

Guests being taken in a procession with Koneswara Hindu College Tamil music (Inniyam) band in attendance.

( L-R.)Mr.Thilakaretnam, Mr.Visahalingam, Mr.N.Nadarajah and Mr.T.Ponnambalam are seen when students sing Thamil Language Valthupattu at the commencement of the festival.

Mr.T. Ponnambalam presided. Mr.Thilakaretnam made the welcome address.

The chief guest Mr. N.Nadarajah said he has taken step this year to award shields and certificates to all schools, which participate in the All Island Tamil Language day contests and festival as an impetus to students who come from distant places. This new procedure would come into force when the All Island Tamil Language Festival is held in Colombo later this year, he added.

Chief guest Mr.Nadaraja hands over prize and certificate to Mr.N.Sivalingeswaran of Chenkaladi Central College who directed the two folk dance items (Vadamodi and Special Kootu ) which won first places in the contests. Chenkaladi Central College folk dance troupes won these two competitions.

Folk dance troupe of Jaffna-Uduvil Girls College which won the first place in Isai Nadagam ( Sathyavan-Savithiri).

"Folk Dance contest and festival is held only in the Northeast province and no island level contest and festival is held because folk dance is exclusively preserved in the Northeast Province. Hence I have taken steps to recognize the results of the provincial level folk dance contests in future as national level results with awards and certificates," said Mr.N. Nadarajah in his address.

Mr.Muthu Radhakirushnan, Assistant Director of Education proposed vote of thanks.