Celebrations such as ‘Maamadurai Potruvom’ should be organised in every district of Tamil Nadu to spread the spirit of oneness and inspire the youth to preserve rich culture and tradition, said Governor K. Rosaiah here on Saturday.
Giving away prizes to school and college students who had participated in competitions conducted as part of ‘Maamadurai Potruvom’ celebration, the Governor said that one could see culture in its pristine form in Tamil Nadu even today. Culture, he said, was the matrix of civilisation and each district possessed a unique history.
Tracing Madurai’s history and culture, Dr. Rosaiah said that the ancient city was the first and foremost place for promotion of Tamil through its Sangams. It was here that Mahatma Gandhi decided to change his traditional attire. The city, gateway to south Tamil Nadu, was in the forefront during the freedom movement and its temples functioned as centre of culture.
The Governor was happy that the marathon and competitions organised as part of the celebration had introduced the youth to the greatness of the city and instilled on them pride and a sense of belonging. Such celebrations, he felt, would ensure connectivity between generations and rejuvenate people. ‘Maamadurai Potruvom,’ he said, should become an annual event.
Collector Anshul Mishra said that people from different walks of life had come to celebrate the ancient city’s art, culture and literature. It had proved to be an all-inclusive festival that provided a meaningful place for all. ‘Maamadurai Potruvom’ had made all sections of society to converge in one identity and rejuvenate. School and college students had shown an unprecedented enthusiasm to participate in the celebration, the Collector said.
Mayor V. V. Rajan Chellappa called upon the residents of the secular city to take a vow to industrialise Madurai and also keep it clean.
Chairman of the organising committee Karumuttu T. Kannan said that the city should remain not only as ‘Maamadurai’ but also modern Madurai, as an industrialised city and be in a position to benefit from advances in science and technology. Like Tiruchi, which has a unit of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Madurai needed a big industry for its development. It also craved for an institution of higher learning such as the Indian Institute of Science that created an eco system in Bangalore for development of technology.
