Sri Lanka, Jan. 15 -- Sri Lanka is a nation of diverse nationalities coexisting peacefully. Each of those nationalities have their own, unique cultural celebrations that add colour and vibrancy to the Sri Lankan cultural fabric, states Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in a Thai Pongal message.

"The Thai Pongal festival is one such important cultural event celebrated by the Tamil community throughout the world, the Prime Minister said".

The message: "From time immemorial the Tamil community were a people that were mostly depended on an agricultural based economy. Their lives were bonded closely with nature. To them the terminology 'Thai' meant a new and prosperous beginning. They believed that the dawn of Thai Pongal signifies venturing ...