An event organised by the Women’s Wing of the Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association (LiSHA) brought the warmth and joy of the Pongal festival to residents of the Sree Narayana Mission Nursing Home in Yishun.
The celebration, held on Saturday, 17 January, was graced by the Chief Executive Officer of the Hindu Endowments Board, Sarojini Pathmanathan, who attended as the Guest of Honour.
Around 30 residents joined volunteers in a range of festive activities, including painting traditional Pongal pots, singing songs and enjoying a lively Gummi dance performance.
Sree Narayana Mission was founded in 1946 by Malayali immigrants near the former British Naval Base. Among the residents is 79-year-old Mdm Ganga, who once lived in the area with her family and now resides at the nursing home.
“I am grateful to the volunteers for celebrating with us like family. As a Malayali, I never celebrated Pongal very much growing up. I would usually celebrate only when friends invited me to their homes,” she said.
Mr Rethnam Ramasamy, 74, who lives at the nursing home with his wife, fondly recalled the Pongal celebrations they once enjoyed in their own home.
Yogeswari Chandrasekaran, who oversees the social work programmes for residents at Sree Narayana Mission Nursing Home, said events such as these help bring residents together, including those who would otherwise prefer to keep to themselves.
Commending the LiSHA Women’s Wing for organising the celebration, Sarojini Pathmanathan encouraged the residents with an uplifting message.
“Women can achieve anything they set their minds to. Do not dwell on the past or be saddened by it,” she said.
Although she was born and raised in Singapore, she shared fond childhood memories of celebrating Pongal in Madurai with her grandparents.
“When I was five years old, I remember going to the fields with my grandparents to celebrate Pongal. In Singapore, we celebrate the festival in our own special way,” she added.
“This is the first time the LiSHA Women’s Wing has organised a Pongal celebration at Sree Narayana Mission Nursing Home. The residents thoroughly enjoyed the activities, especially painting the Pongal pots,” said Thajunisha AB, co-organiser of the event.
The event also featured volunteer performances by semi-finalists from the Miss & Mrs ASEAN 2026 beauty pageant. Through dance and drama, the contestants highlighted a range of meaningful social messages.
Eighteen-year-old Krishnaveni encouraged people not to lose confidence as they grow older through her theatrical performance. Ashin Alexia performed a blindfolded dance to raise awareness of the challenges faced by people who are blind and those with special needs, while Divya’s dance conveyed the importance of perseverance and never giving up.
“My goal is for beauty pageants to serve as a platform for creating a positive impact on society,” said Lavanya Priya, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Prestige Pageants Royal, the pageant organiser.
“It was a wonderful experience to celebrate Pongal in the traditional way alongside the nursing home residents,” said Shanmita Manoharan, a member of the organising committee and Director of Murugan Idli Shop.
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In celebration of Deepavali, Mediacorp organised a special event at the Sree Narayana Mission Nursing Home.
Mediacorp staff, together with 20 residents of the nursing home, created festive Deepavali decorations, which will be used to brighten up the premises.
The event aimed to bring the spirit of Deepavali to the elderly residents and provide them with meaningful companionship during the festive season.
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Minister for Home Affairs, Mr. K. Shanmugam, has said that racial and religious harmony in Singapore should not be taken for granted. He was speaking at the 85th anniversary celebration of the Parish of Christ Church in Little India.
“The law will maintain peace; social and religious leaders should unite people,” said Mr. Shanmugam. He added that the church’s good works help maintain unity among Singaporeans.
The event was held at Coastal Gardens last night. Minister Shanmugam and Mr. Alvin Tan, Minister of State for National Development and Minister of State for Trade and Industry, were in attendance. The CEOs of SINDA and Sree Narayana Mission were also present.
The programme featured various elements, including prayer, dancing, and singing.
Christ Church, located on Dorset Road, has a long history, as described by Pastor Steven Ashirvathama. It was founded on October 18, 1940, and was the first Anglican church established for Tamils in Singapore.
During World War II, the church was the target of a three-day artillery bombardment. It was severely damaged and later restored in the early 1960s.
Today, the church stands as one of Singapore’s national monuments.
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