This January, Harrow council and several Tamil community organisations are hosting various events to celebrate Thai Pongal & Tamil Heritage Month. Harrow is home to 14,000 Tamil families, many with ancestral ties to Northern Sri Lanka and Southern India, aswell as Malaysia and Singapore.

Tamil Folk Dance and Well-being workshop for women

Free Entry

Monday 15th January, 11.30am – 12.30pm

Greenhill Library, Harrow

Tamil Community Centre (TCC) & Harrow Libraries

Celebrate Tamil Heritage Month at Greenhill Library with a ladies-only folk dance and well-being workshop with Rani Naguland.

The TCC has been running well-being and folk dance workshops in Harrow for many years, providing a relaxing environment for women of all ages and abilities to engage in non-stigmatising physical activity. The classes are a safe space to interact & socialise, helping to improve fitness and reduce loneliness & isolation. Click to book

Curry Heritage of the Tamils

Free Entry

Saturday 20th January, 12pm – 1pm

Greenhill Library, Harrow

Ravi Maniam & Harrow Libraries

From Ancient Roots to Modern Palates, join Harrow based author Ravi Maniam at Greenhill Library for an exploration into the history of Tamil curry.

Ravi’s book ‘Curry Heritage of the Tamil – From Ancient Roots to Modern Palates: A brief history of Tamil Curry’ charts how Tamils interacted with Asian and European traders over generations, the impact of colonial rule over the Indian subcontinent and the categorisation curry into the pre-chilli and post-chilli eras.

The book also examines how the world’s oldest food culture become the favourite food of the United Kingdom and offers insight into the current ‘Curry crisis’ facing the modern day Curry industry. Click here to book

Tamil Heritage Month Exhibition

Free Entry

Saturday 6th to Friday 26th January, 10am to 5pm

Harrow Arts Centre

For the second year running Harrow Arts Centre will be hosting an exhibition that aims to creatively explore the rich heritage of our Tamil community. Tamil Heritage Month is celebrated in January to coincide with Thai Pongal, the Tamil Harvest Festival.

Celebrating Thai Pongal Workshop

£5 per person

Saturday 20th January, 11am or 1pm

Harrow Arts Centre, Hatch End Suites

Brought to you by the Tamil Community Centre (TCC) this multi-disciplinary workshop will be devoted to celebrating Thai Pongal, a farmers’ harvest festival amongst peoples of South India and Tamils of Sri Lanka.

In the first part of the workshop, your family will be taken through an art and crafts activity based on the story of Thai Pongal. The second part of the workshop will be dedicated to music dance and storytelling, and there will be lots of room for audience participation. Click here to book