Jaffna Glitters with Sinhala & Tamil New Year Festival held at Duraiappa Stadium

The Duraiappa Stadium in Jaffna wore festive garbs on Saturday (15) on account of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year when 51 Infantry Division troops of the Security Force HQ - Jaffna, together with the Governor for Northern Province, Major General D B S N Bothota RWP RSP USP psc, Commander, Security Forces-Jaffna and Major General S W B Welagedara RSP USP ndc, General Officer Commanding, 51 Infantry Division joined a Sinhala and Tamil New Year festival for celebration of the dawn of the New Year, rich with formalities, traditions, rites and rituals.

The New Year festival, aimed at reconciliation, promotion of values, attitudes, civil-military cooperation and mutual relations in a multi-cultural, religious, multi-ethnic setting began with hoisting of the National flag by the day’s Chief Guest Hon. Jeevan Thiyagarajah, Governor for Northern Province at the invitation of Commander, Security Forces-Jaffna.

After lighting of the oil lamp, customary traditions games and competitions continued. Some of those interesting games included bicycle race, grease pole climbing, pillow fighting, breaking pots, tug-of-war, dotting the elephant eye, play musical chairs, inflating balloons, bun eating, obstacle race, the lime-on-spoon race, kolam rata, fancy dress-up, ‘thachchi’ penima, etc.

The festival was coloured by both Sinhala and Tamil traditional dancing features and the Army band attracted the gathering adding glamour by playing Tamil and Sinhala songs during the event. A large number of Tamil civilians enthusiastically participated in those events.

Brigade Commanders, Staff Officers of 51 Infantry Division, Commanding Officers and Officers of Brigades and Battalions, and troops under 51 Infantry Division had contributed to the successful completion of the programme in coordination with the District Secretary, Jaffna and Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Northern Province.