Park Grove Methodist Church

The Boy’s Town Society of South India

(Funded by the Joe Homan Charitable Trust reg. charity no: 1006060)

For further facts about the Joe Homan Charity click here

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The Pongal celebrations are held on the 14th & 15th of January each year. The first day (Thai Pongal) is a celebration of the harvest and the second (Marthu Pongal) is the festival of the oxen whose hard work had been largely responsible for the harvest and when they were gaily painted and given special and extra food. The day is also one of games and sports and is traditionally hosted by the Tirumangalam Boys Town.

In 1983 for the very first time 36 girls from the new girls town situated near the village of Karsilpatti (just across the main road from the Boys Town) were invited and joined in the festival celebrations. One of the competitions for the boys was the painting of the oxen and the girls countered with gaily coloured lambs bedecked with flowers, which had started the morning as part of the girl’s hair decorations.

We receive greetings cards from our children at the 2 main annual festivals Diwali in October and Pongal in January and this years cards can be seen on the board in the Jubilee room at Park Grove Methodist Church.