SIACS-South Indian Arts and Cultural Society

Events 2023

Pongal Makarasankranti

Jan 15,2023

Maha Shivaratri

18th February 2023

Hanuman Jayanthi

06 April 2023

South Indian Food Festival

21st May 2023

Vishu / Tamil Newyear

15th April 2023

Culture Fest

August 20 ,2023

Onam

September 2 ,2023

Ganesh Chaturthi

September 24 ,2023

Deepavali

November 12 ,2023

Karthigai Deepam

November 26 ,2023

Comeandjoinusandlearnhowyoucanmakea differenceinthecommunity.Wealwaysneedtime, talent,andtreasureandyoucanmakeadifference throughvolunteerismordonations.

SIACS

We Love our Volunteers

If you would like to find out more about our volunteering opportunities or have any ideas or suggestions of how you could contribute to SIACS as a volunteer, please email to contact@siacs.org and we will get back to you.

It’s Free – It’s Open – It’sYours. Get involved

“A festival is a celebration of life. It is a celebration of the earth, the sky, the water, and the fire.”

AboutMagazine

Maha Shivaratri

“All poetry, painting, and music is feeling expressed through words, through colour, through sound.”

Ugadi 19

Hanuman Jayanthi 20

In this issue Arts & Cultural Society

South Vishu / Tamil NewYear

Jaya Raj

Sanil Kumar

Pongal / Makarasankranti Onam

-Swami Vivekananda

SIACS nexteditionmagazine is proposedtoincludedrawings, paintings,stories,articles,south indianfoodrecipes,travel destinationsandhealthtopics.

Ifyouareinterested Get in touch

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Disclaimer: The publishers shall not beheldliableforanylossoccasioned by failure of an advertisement to appear, or any damage or inconvenience caused by errors, omissions and misprints. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission from the publishers. The opinions expressed within are not necessarily those of thepublishers.

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3 5 12 21 16 27 Ganesh Festival 29

ThisMagazineforSIACSisa celebrationofthemultitude ofeventsandperformances successfully executed since January this year which has brought together various diverse perspectives to life, creating a truly radiant multiculturalexperience.

In this issue there are highlights from celebrating various festivals like Onam, Ganesh Chaturthi, Ugadi, Maha Shivratri and Pongal to hosting an elaborate Foodfestival.Ashowcaseof all the various enticing traditional performances. Team Laasya’s artistic ethos iscapturedinthiseditalong with the artistic flair shown bykidsforPotpainting.

ValerieLaurent,LordMayor of Southampton has shared her experience at the Food Festival along with the Former Mayor of Eastleigh and Mayor of Amesbury’s wordsofencouragement.

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South Indian Arts & Cultural Society

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Contributors

Ashvi Prem Kumar

SouthIndianArtsandCulturalSocietyaimtocarry outandpromoteSouthIndianculturaleventsto educate,encourageandsupportthelocalpopulation inunderstandingandexchangeofcultural informationwithinvariousgroupsandlocal communities.

TheSocietysuccessfullyorganizedfeweventswhich havereachedmorethan1000participants.Events weresupportedbymulticulturalgroupsfromall southindianstates.SIACSencouragethekidsto involveindifferentartandcraftactivities.SIACSalso createdopportunityforartiststoperformondifferent eventsandshowcasetheirtalents.

PromotetheknowledgeandunderstandingofSouth Indianartsandculture,festivalsandeventsby workingtogetherasmembersregardlessofage, ethnicorigin,ability,sex,belieforpoliticalaffiliation thusrecognisingthevalueofourmanydifferences.

Launch of SIACS Logo

Former Mayor of Eastleigh, Adam Manning

“Trees are used to represent life and growth in mythologies, legends and novels. Trees are considered representative of life, wisdom, power and prosperity.”

Cover courtesy

This art is made by the kids who attended the Mahashivaratri event, Supported by Angie Riju Thomas

“ Great things are done by a series of small things brought together. “

South Indian Arts & Cultural Society

Pongal & MakaraSankranthi Celebration

Pongal isaharvestfestivalcelebratedbythe Tamil community. It is a celebration to thank the Sun, Mother Nature and the various farm animals that help to contribute to a bountiful harvest. Celebrated over four days, Pongal alsomarksthebeginningoftheTamilmonth called Thai,whichisconsideredanauspicious month. It usually falls on the 14th or 15th of Januaryeachyear.

Pongal is also the name of the dish made and eaten during this festival. It is a mixture of boiled sweet rice. It is derived from the Tamil word pongu,whichmeans“toboilover”.

It is dedicated to the sun god, Surya, and corresponds to Makar Sankranti, the harvest festival under many regional names celebrated throughout India. The three days ofthePongalfestivalarecalledBhogiPongal, Surya Pongal, and Mattu Pongal. Some Tamils celebrate a fourth day of Pongal knownasKanumPongal.

Makara Sankranti is the celebration of the sun's journey from the Southern to the Northern Hemisphere, and it is accepted as a specialorauspicioustime.MakarSankrantiis also celebrated as a harvest festival. It is a way of expressing thanks to Mother Earth or nature at this time when winter starts to recede, gradually developing into spring and summer. The festival is especially for the spreading of good will, peace and prosperity. People give each other presents, especially til, the traditional sweets made with sesame. It is also celebrated with a feast that includes adishmadeofgreengram,riceandjaggery.

Adam Mannin , Former Mayor o Eastlei h

Adam Mannin Former Mayor o Eastlei h doin pon al

“Ifwearetopreserve culturewemust continuetocreateit.”

LoveandDanceforpurearts .that’sLaasya.

AgroupoffriendsfromHampshire whoare passionateaboutthecultureandart,istryingto upholdandcelebratetheessenceofcultural& traditionaldanceformsofIndia,whilespreadingthe joyaroundeveryIndianfestival.

Pongal is the colourful and beautiful harvest celebration for thanking the Sun and Mother Nature. Team Laasya here is presenting the dance of our rich Tamil culture with a few colourful festive song memories.

Choreography : Jaya

Music editor : Aishwarya

Keerthy Aromal, Jaya Raj, Rajitha Sanil, Sandhya Das, Radhika Vinodh

Tamil Thai Valthu (Tamil:

, romanized: Tamiḻttāy Vāḻttu,. 'Invocation to Mother Tamil' is the state anthem ofTamil Nadu.The song was written by Manonmaniam Sundaram Pillai, and composed by M. S. Viswanathan.

“ There is much more to dance than just making the right moves. ”

Suvarnika Invocation to MotherTamil

Riya and Aditya

Kummi is a olk dance, popular in Tamil Nadu and Kerala in India, danced mostly by SouthIndianwomenincircle.Dancin maybe different.Insomeplaces,itisverysimple,with rhythmic clappin or beatin o the drums. In other places dancers imitate various harvestin activities.

Folk Dances From South India

1. Kummi – Tamil Nadu

2. Padayani – Kerala

3. Kolannalu – Andhra Pradesh

4. Mayilattam – Tamil Nadu

5. Veerageese – Karnataka

6. Theyyam – Kerala

7. Perini Thandavam – Telangana

8. Garadi – Tamil Nadu

9. Thapetta Gullu – Andhra Pradesh

10. Oppana – Kerala

Anuradha Menon, Veena Suresh, Bhar avi, Sujana, Malar, Rajitha Kamal,Sunitha Rajeev

“Folk dance has only one language that can understand anyone. ”

Folk dance by Atharva, Vyas and Shourya

“Culturedrivesgreatresults.”

Soorya Narayana Pooja

Bharatanatyam isadanceofTamilNaduin southernIndia.Ittracesitsoriginsbacktothe Natyashastra,anancienttreatiseontheatrewritten bythemythicpriestBharata.Originallyatemple danceforwomen,bharatanatyamoftenisusedto expressHindureligiousstoriesanddevotions.

Chavittukali is a folk dance of Kerala that is staged during festivals like Onam, Vishu and in certain temple fairs. Popular in central Kerala and Malappuram. The songs in the art form are based on mythological themes or about certain great individuals. The dancers themselves render the songs and there are no accompanying instruments.

Some folk dance forms of Andhra Pradesh are

1. Veeranatyam

2. Tappeta Gullu

3. Butta Bommalu

4. Kolattam

And classical dance forms

1. Kuchipudi

2. Andhra Natyam

3. Vilasini Natyam

“Understanding your heritage, your roots and your ancestry is an important part of carving out your future.”

Raveena , Shivika, Niharika

Traditionalfolkby Diya and Ashitha

Bharatanatyam by Jyothika

Art by Sanil Kumar, Aiswarya Satheesh, Angie Riju Thomas, Rajitha Sanil

Rangoli[Kolam]

Rangoli is an art form that originates from the Indian subcontinent, in which patterns are created on the floor or a tabletop using materials such as powdered limestone, red ochre, dry rice flour, coloured sand, quartz powder, flower petals, and coloured rocks.” Rangoli” is derived from the Sanskrit word “rangavalli”, which means “an array of colours”, this art is a traditional art form and dates to at least 5000 years ago.

The use of rice flour to create a rangoli is highly recommended as it also serves as food for insects. The presence of food outside the house satisfies

Rangoli typically represents positivity, happiness, and liveliness of the home it is in front of. It is usually intended to welcome the goddess Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth and luck).The primary purpose of rangoli is to enlighten and welcome Hindu gods and goddesses into the home. Rangolis are believed to have spiritual perspectives and benefits. It is said that with the change of colour, design and form, the vibration of rangoli changes.

Rangoli is a form of art that is believed to bring positive energy to a home or family by warding off evil forces.The intricate designs, often featuring stars, convey a sense of protection from negativity. Even a simple dot in a RANGOLI can have the power to transform negative thinking into positive thinking. Welfare to the family or home by eradicating the evil forces without attacking.The lines drawn are considered to be the fear of evil which is why most of the rangolis have a design of a star.Adot of rangoli has got the capability of changing negative thoughts to positive thoughts.

SCIENTIFIC REASONS:

Rangoli, usually the first thing visitors notice upon entering a home, is designed with intricate patterns to trap negative energies and prevent their entry. This practice ensures the prosperity of our lives. The human senses are highly responsive to positive stimuli, which effectively eliminates negative energy. Rangoli is a powerful art form that effectively reduces negative energy levels in humans and generates positive energy.The presence of positive and negative energies in the atmosphere demands us to invite positivity into our lives.

The visit to religious places generates positive energy. Rangoli designs with smooth, rounded edges create a calming effect on our minds and generate positive energy, making us feel good before entering and after leaving a house.

Rangoli by Pavani Raghu

“happiness, positivity and liveliness of a household, and is intended to welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and good luck”

Kids Pot Painting

SouthIndianArtsandCulturalSocietyinitiatedpot paintingsessionatpongalfestivaltherewasmore than75kidsparticipatedinthepotpainting session.

Sittingstillandpaintingadesignonapieceof potteryteacheschildrenhowtoconcentrateona singletask.Potterypaintingisacalmingand relaxingactivitythatallowsyourchildtolearnthat quiet,patientactivitiescanbeasrewardingas runningaroundontheplayground.

When I was asked to support the arts and crafts with the children I was delighted, the children really got stuck into it and really enjoyed listening to the stories and beliefs around each craft. I look forward to being part of these events in future

-AngieThomas

“Painting teaches concentration.”

“ There is a little bit of pot maker in all of us. ”

South Indian Arts & Cultural Society

Maha Shivaratri

Mahashivratri, “The Great Night of Shiva” is the most significant event in India’s spiritual calendar.

The fourteenth day of every lunar month or the day before the new moon is known as Shivratri.Among all the twelve Shivratris that occur in a calendar year, Mahashivratri, the one that occurs in February-March is of the most spiritual significance. On this night, the northern hemisphere of the planet is positioned in such a way that there is a natural upsurge of energy in a human being.This is a day when nature is pushing one towards one’s spiritual peak. It is to make use of this, that in this tradition, we established a certain festival which is nightlong.To allow this natural upsurge of energies to find their way,one of the fundamentals of this nightlong festival is to ensure that you remain awake with your spine vertical throughout the night.

It is all-pervading, everywhere, omnipresent. So when we say Shiva, it is this vast emptiness of existence. It is in the lap of this vast emptiness that all creation has happened. It is that lap of emptiness that we refer to as the Shiva.

Legends apart, why this day and night are held with such importance in the yogic traditions is because of the possibilities it presents to a spiritual seeker. Modern science has gone through many phases and arrived at a point today where they are out to prove to you that everything that you know as life, everything that you know as matter and existence, everything that you know as the cosmos and galaxies, is just one energy which manifests itself in millions of ways.

Light is a brief happening in your mind. Light is not eternal, it is always a limited possibility because it happens and it ends.The greatest source of light that we know on this planet is the sun. Even the sun’s light, you could stop it with your hand and leave a shadow of darkness behind. But darkness is all-enveloping, everywhere.The immature minds in the world have always described darkness as the devil. But when you describe the divine as all-pervading, you are obviously referring to the divine as darkness, because only darkness is all-pervading. It is everywhere. It does not need any support from anything.

Light always comes from a source that is burning itself out. It has a beginning and an end. It is always from a limited source. Darkness has no source. It is a source unto itself.

Over 300 people participated in this Mahashivaratri celebration, offerings from different families are distributed to everyone as annadhanam. It was good to see a long queue for jal abisekam, many kids performed keerthans and classical dances, number of volunteers involved in this auspicious event. Participants also enjoyed other sessions includingYoga, Meditation, Bhajan etc. SIACS also distributed Rudraksha Beads to every participants.

Nisha Arulvel, Basuri Murali, Rudra Rajesh

Rudrabisekam

Rudrabhishek is an ancient chanting which was downloaded from the Akasha (space). When the ancient sages sat in meditation, they heard these sounds (of the mantras), and they started transferring to other people what they heard (and that is how the Rudrabhishek was downloaded).

The effect of Rudrabhishek is, it creates positive energy and removes negative vibrations. The main thing is the vibration, that is it. If you ask me, ’Do you know the meaning of all the chants? I will say, ’I also don’t know.’ It’s the vibration of the chants that is more important than the meaning. When Rudrabishek happens, nature flourishes; nature becomes joyful and happy.

Mainly, it creates more positive ions; more so when people are meditating.

Rudrabisekam

Rudra Rajesh

and it symbolises the destruction of the world.The destruction doesn't mean the end of the world.The dance of shiva is the destruction of the evil within us. It also signifies getting out of the cycle of birth and death.

Shivashtakam by Atharva, Vyas and Shourya for Mahashivaratri

Janu Mamullapally & Isha Mamullapally & Anika Mamullapalli

Ridhi Gowda, Vikrutha Vignesh, Aarmitha Selva performing bharatnatyam for Maha shivaratri

Meeta - teaching her own unique style of yoga during Maha Shivaratri celebration, She believes that inner peace can be found through breath, physical exercise, mindfulness and awareness.

Meeta believes that inner peace can be found through breath, physical exercise, mindfulness and awareness.

Whether you're just discovering yoga, are a dedicated practitioner or somewhere in-between, we'reallonthesamejourney.

Yoga is for everybody - and everybody.

www.meetayo

'Yoga makes the impossible possible.'

Lekshmi Rajesh

Mindfulness is a technique you can learn which involves noticing what's happening in the present moment, without judgement. You might take notice and be aware of your mind, body or surroundings.

Sivadham a mystical dance performance by team Laasya on Maha Shivaratri as an offering, performance based on dance of Siva Parvathy concept which is a divine performance ofTandava the dance of Siva and Laasya the dance of Parvathy Devi.

Performers

Jaya Raj, Sandhya Das, Radhika Vinod Rajitha Sanil, Diya Das,Ashitha Satheesh, Choreography: Jaya Raj

Musiceditor :Aishwarya Satheesh

Laasya per ormance at Old is Gold, Southampton

“

Everything in the universe has rhythm, Everything dances”

Vishu

Vishu is one of the most popular South Indian festivals and it is widely celebrated in Kerala andTamil Nadu. It is the traditional New Year for the residents of these states. The people living in this region speak Malayalam language, it is also known as the Malayalam NewYear.

According to the Indian astrological calculations, the Vishu festival day signifies the Sun’s transit to zodiac Mesha Rashi. Astronomically, this festival represents Vernal Equinox. Therefore, the Vishu day is considered to be denoting one of the vernal equinox days.

Vishu Kani is the highlight of the festival and is prepared a day before the festival with auspicious things like raw rice, flowers, coins, seasonal fruits, clothes etc.

Vishu Sadya is the traditional vegetarian feast, which is served on a large plantain leaf. The food is served beginning from the bottom left half of the leaf. with no less than 20-30 dishes and relished by all the family members.

“Vishu is celebrated as New Year. It is a symbol of good luck, hope and prosperity”

Mini

Diya

South Indian Arts & Cultural Society

Tamil New year

Puthandu (Tamil: தமிழ்

, romanized: Puttāṇṭu, lit. 'new year'), also known as Tamil New Year, is the first day of year on the Tamil calendar, traditionally celebrated as a festival by Tamils as the first day of the Tamil month Chittirai. It falls on or about 14 April every year on the Gregorian calendar.The same day is observed elsewhere in South and South East Asia as the traditional new year.

The day is observed as a family time. Households clean up the house, prepare a tray with fruits, flowers and auspicious items, light up the family puja altar and visit their local temples. People wear new clothes and children go to elders to pay their respects and seek their blessings.

The Tamil New Year is mostly about creating the possibilities of new beginnings for a new year. Therefore, the festival starts with tidying and cleaning

Onthisday,Tamilpeoplegreeteachother by saying "Puttāṇṭu vāḻttukaḷ!"

புத்தாண்டு

புத்தாண்டு வாழ்த்துகள்) or "Iṉiya puttāṇṭunalvāḻttukaḷ!"(இனிய புத்தாண்டு

), which is equivalent to "Happynewyear".

Hebsi, Shalini, Suvitha and Mutharasi Vijay

Riya and Aadhisri

The Hilt the home of Hiltingbury Community Association and a place where the local community can meet, hire rooms and join an array of activities and classes run on a daily basis or enjoy the many Hilt entertainment events we stage throughout the year including our regular film night. The Hilt provides 4 versatile spaces for whatever activity you’re planning and is a great place to meet up. If you’re retired or just live on your own, Friendly Fridays and Welcome Wednesdays meet every other week in Cranbury room for afternoon tea.

We are a volunteer-led charity and we receive no outside funding other than your support when hiring or buying tickets to our events. We also rely on our fabulous volunteers who help run the centre and generously give their time. Of course we are always looking for more volunteers and would welcome your help and skills.

Telephone

023 8027 1609

Hiltingbury CommunityAssociation

Hiltingbury Recreation Ground

Hiltingbury Road, Chandler's Ford Hampshire SO53 5NP

https://www.thehilt.org.uk/

Aneesh George and Tess George, the founders of Mazhavil Sangeetham, have embarked on a remarkable musical journey from the comfort of their own home. Their profound love for music inspired them to establish Mazhavil Sangeetham a decade ago. Initially, they started by featuring local singers, but as the years went by, Mazhavil Sangeetham began attracting performers from various parts of the UK. Their relentless hard work, unwavering determination, and unwavering focus have paved the way for the grand celebration of Mazhavil Sangeetham's 10th anniversary. Today, they take immense pride in commemorating a decade of musical extravaganzas that have captivated the hearts of many.

South Indian Arts & Cultural Society

“SouthernIndianmusic, dance,andartcome rom thetemples.Devotionisthe basiso alltheseArts.”

-Sadh uru

Romsey Future is a community partnership, that means it exists to bring together people from across the town, from all walks of life and backgrounds. That includes local councillors and politicians, faith groups, business owners, community groups, sports groups, voluntary organisations, and many more besides. Why does it want to bring them together? Because collectively we are able to achieve so much more than if we were all operating in our own bubbles.

One of Romsey’s real strengths as a town is that there are a lot of people doing so many different great things, and we need to harness that for the benefit of the whole town. Sometimes there will be things that one person thinks would be a great idea, but that they need someone else to bring to life, Romsey Future provides the space and opportunity for those connections to be made and that idea to be developed into something that benefits the whole town.

Not only is it about providing those connections though, Romsey Future exists to champion the interests of local residents. To ensure that it’s doing that, Romsey Future’s work is guided by its strategy document, which sets out its vision for the town and it’s future. This was launched in 2022 following an extensive consultation with the local community, where Romsey Future sought to understand what the priorities and aspirations of local people for their lives and their town.

Having been set up in 2013, Romsey Future has been responsible for a number of different projects like new cycling infrastructure and new outdoor gym equipment. One of their key aspirations, that is now being brought to life, is the regeneration of the south of Romsey town centre (the area around Broadwater Road, Aldi, and the Crosfield Hall) – together with Test Valley Borough Council, Romsey Future developed a Masterplan for this area that is now in the early stages of being brought to life.

But it’s not just in the past that Romsey Future has been bringing about a positive impact on the town. Since the launch of the new strategy document last year, Romsey Future stakeholders have sought develop a number of new walking and cycling paths in the town, endorsed a community energy scheme (Dragonfly Power) that will provide cleaner and cheaper energy for local residents, and run ‘Half Term Hangouts’ a space for young people to come during school holidays.

For more information about Romsey Future, you can check out their website or their Facebook page.

Special Thanks

Thanks to Cllr Neil Gwynne, Cllr Janet Burnage and Cllr Rohit Kohli - Cupernham ward Cllrs for supporting South IndianArts and Cultural Society for its first steps to get into community activities.

AWCA-Eastiegh

Eastleigh Borough Council

Southampton City Council

“A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.”

Mahatma Gandhi

Ugadi

Ugadi Festival is celebrated as the New Year with much fervor in the South Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and even some parts of Goa in the western region of India. The festival marks the beginning of a new Hindu calendar year and is celebrated on the first day of “Chaitra” month, which falls in the months of March-April as per the Gregorian calendar.

The day is observed by drawing colourful patterns on the floor called Muggulu, mango leaf decorations on doors called torana, buying and giving gifts such as new clothes, giving charity to the poor, oil massages followed by special baths, preparing and sharing a special food called pachadi, and visiting Hindu temples.

Preparations for the festival begin a week ahead. Houses are given a thorough clean. People buy new clothes, including dhoti, and buy new items for the festival, decorate the entrance of their houses with fresh mango leaves

Ugadi is incomplete without the “Ugadi Pacchadi. ” Every festival in India begins with a refreshing oil bath and hair wash ritual, known as Abhyanga. The benefits ofAbhyanga(rooted inAyurveda) have been studied widely and is identified as one of the most non-invasive and relaxing ways to maintain good health.

Also, every festival brings with it a slew of specialities that are particularly identified with the festival. The “Ugadi Pacchadi” requires 6 ingredients- Raw mango, Neem, Tamarind, Jaggery, Chilli and Salt. Legend has it this amalgamated dish serves as a perfect representation of life itself- happiness, sorrow, anger, bitterness, surprise and fear. Today, social psychologists and behaviour therapists insist that every emotion needs to be welcomed for good emotional health. This ritual serves as the perfect understanding of the importance and the inevitability of every human emotion.

Rangoli People splash fresh cow dung in front of their houses to purify the environment. Then beautiful Rangolis are made outside every house

Hanuman Jayanthi

To mark the birth of Lord Hanuman, Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated all over India in the month of Chaitra in Hindu calendar. The great Hanuman is known for its great strength, power and his immortal devotion towards Lord Rama. He is considered to be a greatest follower of Lord Rama and played a crucial role in his life. He is also known as Sankat Mochanwhopeoplerememberinbothgoodandbad times. He is considered to be as one of the most powerful Hindu gods in India. According to Hindu mythology, as the son of 'Pawan', the God of Winds and 'Anjanee' often referred to as 'Pawanputra,' is blessed with immense physical and mental strength that is greatly inspiring. Lord Hanuman is considered to be the eleventh Rudra manifestation of Lord Shiva. He symbolizes strength and selfless devotion, and his ability and determination to achieve impossible feats has been chronicled in several episodes of the Ramayana. He showed his unconditional love for Lord Ram, who also blessed him and reciprocated his devotion by treating him likeabrother.

Lord Hanuman is the embodiment of courage, self-control, highest state of devotion, intellect, sense-control and humility. Hanuman Jayanti is the mostauspicioustimetoworshiphimtoimbibeallhis great qualities in our human capacity. It is also said that Lord Hanuman can grant extraordinary powers to a ‘sadhak’ earnestly seeking his blessings on his spiritual journey. The saffron flag near the Hanuman temples in the highways and the hilly regions is a sign of protection against the possibility of any untoward incident or evil energies. He has the boon of immortality, (he is called 'Chiranjeev' for this reason),anditisbelievedhestillexists.

SIACS organised Hanuman Jayanthi celebration at TheHiltandmanyfamiliesattendtheevent.

Hanuman jayanthi celebration at The Hilt, Chandlers ord

“Culture is the arts elevated to a set of beliefs.”

South Indian Food Festival

About Food Festival by AdamManning-FormerMayorofEastleigh

What an amazing time at the South Indian Arts & CulturalSocietyFoodFestivaltoday!AstheMayor of Eastleigh, it was an honour to be part of this vibrantcelebrationofflavoursandculture.

The delectable delicacies on display were a true feast for the senses! From aromatic spices to mouth watering dishes, every bite was a culinary delight.Inadditiontherewasapowerfuldisplayof traditionaldrumming,whichIparticularlyenjoyed.

A special shout out to the new Lord Mayor of Southampton for joining us at this wonderful event.

Heartfelt thanks to the South Indian Arts & Cultural Society for the kind invitation and their generosity. The bonds we share through food and culture make our community stronger and more vibrant.

Let's cherish and celebrate our diverse heritage, onedeliciousdishatatime!

SIACS managed to raise remarkable amount of 2000£ for Southampton Hospitals Charity thru South Indian Food Festival

Manohar Gurusamy, Bhagyalakshmi Balu, Keerthana Linga, Sanil Kumar, Anu Kunjur Shubha Rao, Raghu Mamullapally (above photo from left)

“South Indian food is a celebration of bold flavors and vibrant spices.”

South Indian Food Festival

Itisrightlysaidthatcookingwithloveprovidesfood for the soul and to bring together this cherished theme of soul food, a fun-filled food festival was organised at the Oasis Academy, Lords Hill in Southampton, United Kingdom by SIACS on 21st May 2023. An amazing showcase representing flavours from Tamil Nādu, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh was carefully curated by the 20 stalls that participated in this festival. There was a whole host of dishes to enjoy, including Idlis, Mangalore Buns, Kerala bakery items andHyderabadiBiryani.

This gastronomical delight offering a plethora of luscious and traditional dishes was a huge success with the 1500 attendees who relished this experience. Volunteers dressed up in South Indianattiresandservingeveryonewithbigbright smiles made the festival even more vibrant. SIACS was grateful to have the presence and participation of esteemed Lord Mayor of Southampton,MayorofAmesburyandtheformer Mayor of Eastleigh. The festival also successfully raised a generous amount of £2000 for the SouthamptonHospitalsCharity.

10MostPopularSouthernIndianDishes

❖ Rice Dish. Pongal

❖ Pancake. Masala dosa

❖ Rice Dish. Pulihora

❖ Chicken 65

❖ Pancake.Appam

❖ Porridge. Upma

❖ Stew. Sambar

❖ Hyderabadi biryani.

❖ Idli

❖ Dosa

The food festival was also accompanied by the traditional Chenda Melam which has been popular in South India for more than 300 years which is thrilling to watch. The Chenda i.e., the Drum is a percussion instrument that has been an integral part of South Indian festivals and is also included in various art forms like Kathakali, Kodiyattam, Theyyam etc.

-Ashvi Prem

South Indian Arts & Cultural Society

South Indian Food Festival- Stalls

Temple Cuisine

Sparkles collection

Mane Aduge

Dosa

South Indian Food Festival- Stalls

Sravs Kitchen

Taste of sutton foodies

Andhra Special

Madurai Masala

Rayalaseema Ruchi

Telugu Ruchulu

Karnataka Stop

South Indian Food Festival - Stalls

Hyderabad Ruchulu

Idli kadai

Mangalore Bun

Lord Mayor of Southampton Valerie Laurent

Councillor Laurent became the 801st Mayor and second Lord Mayor of Southampton on Wednesday 17 May 2023 following her year as Sheriff of the City.

“I would like to congratulate the organisers of the South Indian Food Festival. You put on an amazing day showcasing the local skills and talent of your community. This gave many the opportunity to promote their business, coming together with one another. I look forward to the next event and wish you every success in the future.”

South Indian Arts & Cultural Society

Onam

Onam is celebrated throughout the state of Kerala. Kerala during Onam is marked by happiness, excitement and enjoyment among all sections of people. Onam is celebrated as an outcome of reasons that have to do with mythology as well as old agrarian practices. If one is to go by the myth, then King Mahabali or Maveli was a generous and virtuous ruler, who had once ruled Kerala. During his rule, the kingdom became so prosperous that devas (gods of the Heaven) felt jealous about this and also for the reason that King Mahabali was an asura - a member of the demon clan - who were the enemies of devas. So, they sent Lord Vishnu in the guise of Vamana (a dwarf) to King Mahabali. As an offering from the generous king, Vamana requested Mahabali for three feet of land.

And at the time of measuring the three feet of land,Vamana grew so huge that he measured all the worlds in two steps. Since he had nowhere else to place his third step, Mahabali asked Vamana to place it on his head. Pleased by his benevolence, Vamana blessed Mahabali before he was sent to the nether world and granted him permission to visit his dear subjects once in a year. This occasion is celebrated by all Keralites as Onam.

And the other cause for celebrating Onam is because it is the time of the year when a good harvest has been gathered all over Kerala, resulting in plenitude and happiness.

'Pookalam' consists of two words, 'poov' meaning flower and 'kalam' means colour sketches on the ground. It is considered auspicious to prepare Pookalam, also known as 'Aththa-Poo' during the festival of Onam. People believe the spirit of their dear King Mahabali visits Kerala at the time of Onam.

There’s something very special about Onam that hits a chord in the hearts of all Keralites. Wherever one may be in the world, it’s an occasion when memories of their childhood spontaneously spring forth. Like firecrackers that light up the sky in a brilliant display and burn itself out into a shimmering incandescence, these memories stored safely in our mind turn alight. Onam spells a magical inner journey comprising of those unforgettable moments and as the years pass by, we return to them with increasing nostalgia and fondness. But along with reveling in these memories, we also need to imbibe it’s invaluable message of how to cultivate selfless devotion, a charitable nature, self-sacrifice, self-surrender and other such values.

Many regard Lord Vishnu as he who pushed the righteous King Mahabali into the netherworld. In reality, was Mahabali pushed down or lifted up to perfection? The story of Mahabali shows the humbleness of one who surrenders all his victories, failures and material gain to the divine to become one with Him in pure consciousness. Coming back to the present day Onam; when we celebrate Mahabali’s visit, I wonder what his impression of his once prosperous and happy state would be.

TheOnamoftodayisverydifferentfromtheonewe celebrated as children. The traditional Onam flowers,butterfliesanddragonfliesthatdanceinthe air, the banana-leaf ‘sadya’ and the pookalamsthese are no longer essential aspects of Onam, like they were in yesteryears. Pounding of rice husks, stringing of fresh flowers, exclamations of joy, children playing in fields and the traditional Onam games are less common these days. The soil, water and air that we have polluted add to our sorrows. Though we’ve switched to using paper leaves for ‘sadya’ and have come to depend on paper and plastic flowers in the market, we still love to celebrate onam. It still remains the most sought after festival of Keralites, though the ways of celebrationhavechangeddrastically.

‘Mavelinaaduvaneedumkaalam…,’averypopular songsungduringOnammeans,“WhenMaveliruled the land, all people were equal. There was neither anxiety nor sickness. Death of children were unheard of. There were no lies. There was neither theft nor deceit, and no one was false in speech. Measures and weights were right. No one cheated or wronged his neighbor. When Maveli ruled the land,allthepeopleformedonecastelessrace.”

-Ansi Krishnan

Ganesh Chaturthi Festival

Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival that celebrates the birthday of Lord Ganesha, the Hindu god of wisdom and success. It is also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi and can last up to 10 days during the Hindu Month of Bhadra, which usually falls between mid-August and mid-September.

At the start of the festival, idols of Ganesha are placed on raised platforms in homes or in elaborately decorated outdoor tents. The worship begins with the prana pratishtha, a ritual to invoke life in the idols, followed by shhodashopachara, or the 16 ways of paying tribute. Amid the chanting of Vedic hymns from religious texts like the Ganesh Upanishad, the idols are anointed with red sandalwood paste and yellow and red flowers. Ganesha is also offered coconut, jaggery, and 21 modaks (sweet dumplings), considered to be Ganesha’s favourite food. At the conclusion of the festival, the idols are carried to local rivers in huge processions accompanied by drum beats, devotional singing, and dancing. There they are immersed, a ritual symbolizing Ganesha’s homeward journey to Mount Kailas—the abode of his parents, Shiva and Parvati.

Thus, we can see that Ganesha is the power of knowledge, success and fulfillment. To invoke this divine being, several Mantras are chanted in his name. These Ganesh Mantras are also known as Siddhi Mantra (the one with perfection). Each and every mantra is full of energy and the power of Lord Ganesha. It is believed that His mantras, when recited with genuine devotion, give positive results. They ward off all trials and troubles gracing the devotee with every bit of the success he desires.

One of the most important and also one of the most common Ganpati Mantra for wealth, and is dedicated to Lord Ganesha, Goddess Riddhi of Prosperity and Goddess Siddhi of spiritual enlightenment.

“Vakratunda Maha-Kaaya Surya-Kotti Samaprabha

Nirvighnam Kuru Me Deva Sarva-Kaaryeshu Sarvadaa ||”

Bharatnatyam-GaneshStuthiByVishnupriya

Vakratunda Ganesh Mantra

Ganesh immersion

The ritual is done to signify the birth cycle of Lord Ganesha; just as he was created from clay/Earth, his symbolic statue is as well.The idol is immersed in water so that Ganesha may return to his home after his 'stay' at the devotees' home or temple where the Ganesha Chaturthi rituals are conducted.

Nandana and Gayathri

Diya and Ashitha

Eastleigh Mela

Team Laasya from South Indian Arts and Cultural Society performed “South Indian Cultural fusion show” at Eastleigh Mela 2023.

Everyyear theEastleighAsianWelfareandCultural Association coordinate a range of events to engage with the local community. Arguably the most established and well known is the annual Eastleigh Mela.

Dona, sushiba, Sanil, Teena, Sharon

Diya, Radhika, Parvathy, Reshmi, Sanil,Sandhya, Jaya, Rajitha,Ashitha

Mayor of Eastleigh

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