The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi together with the Dhamma School and the Sri Lankan Community in Abu Dhabi organized a Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebration for children under the theme of 'හෙළ සූර්ය මංගලයය- සිඟිති බක්මහ උළෙල - 2022', at the Embassy premises on 16 April 2022. The event was attended by around one hundred and fifty children and their parents.
The celebration commenced with the hoisting of the national flag by Ambassador of Sri Lanka to UAE Malraj de Silva, which was followed by singing of the national anthem. With the participation of religious leaders, i.e Buddhist monks and Catholic priests, all religious observances were conducted to invoke blessings upon the children as well as the participants and Sri Lanka.
The main purpose of the event was to provide an understanding about Sri Lankan traditions and culture to the young generation who are growing up in another country. Towards this purpose, traditional new year rituals, customs, lighting the hearth, boiling milk, observing parents/ elders/ teachers, i.e. were conducted with the participation of the children. Traditional Sinhala and Tamil cuisine were served to the children and all the participants.
Children took part in traditional Avurudu games which included playing traditional drums (raban), placing the eye on the elephant, breaking the clay pot (kana mutti bindeema), competition of singing folk songs ie. The traditional decorations, customs as well as the new year games depicted the atmosphere of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year festive season in Sri Lanka.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Abu Dhabi,
UAE
22 April, 2022
