CM Stalin ushers in Chennai Sangamam with 'Parai performance'

Chennai, Jan 14 (PTI) With a 'Parai' performance, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin ushered in this year's "Chennai Sangamam: Namma Ooru Thiruvizha" here on Wednesday.

The fifth edition of the vibrant, four-day event held annually during 'Thai' month to coincide with the harvest festival of Pongal, was inaugurated in the presence of DMK MP Kanimozhi and ministers.

The event will run till January 18 across 20 Chennai venues like Avadi and Tambaram from 6 pm to 9 pm daily, showcasing over 250 artists performing over 50 folk forms, including 'therukkoothu', 'villupattu', 'silambam', 'nadaswaram', and tribal dances alongside a food festival and fashion show.

Organised by the Tourism and Culture Department under MP Kanimozhi's initiative since 2007 and revived post-2022, the festival promotes Tamil arts with statewide replications directed by CM Stalin.

This edition builds on prior years, like 2025 at Kilpauk's Ekambaranathar grounds, reinforcing Tamil Nadu's commitment to folk arts amid Pongal festivities. JR ROH

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)