Tamils - a Trans State Nation : United Kingdom

 London Sri Murugan Temple “Ther” Festival
12 August 2007

London Sri Murugan Temple “Ther” annual chariot festival took place on last Sunday 12th August at East Ham, London. This is the 3rd chariot festival after the new temple is built in 2005. Sri Murugan Temple is the biggest south Indian temple in Europe also world’s second largest temple built in Black Granite stone. (First one is in Vietnam). The annual 10 day festival started with the flag raising ceremony, chariot procession held on the 9th day and festival finished with the Theertham (water festival).

This festival attracted more than 9000 people in Eastham streets and it was a spectacular event with full of colour. Chariot stopped on the way to perform special poojas for the devotees, Hindu houses and to the Tamil business on the High Street in Eastham. Tamil Hindu community celebrated their festival with many other diverse local communities. The traditional Melam / Nathaswaram and coconut breaking were the special theme of the festival.

This year the Christians also joined in solidarity with the Hindu Tamils. The celebrities were Bishop of Barking Rt. Rev. David Hawkins, East London’s first Tamil Councillor D. Paul Sathianesan, Rev. Barnabas Matloob, Civic Ambassador of Newham Cllr. Omana Gangadharan, Cllr. Mary skiers and the president of the temple Mr. Sambathkumar. This event added more cultural value to Newham’s diversity and celebrations also big contributions to the tourism of the Borough.

Newham is the most diverse place in the world and homeland for the European Tamils known as “Punia Bhoomi and Tamil Khotaai”. Tamil Hindu, Christian and Muslim community from Sri Lanka, India, Singapore, and Malaysia were well established in this Borough.