Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – The Jeddah Tamil Sangam (JTS) marked its 26th Annual Celebration along with the First Term Completion Ceremony of its JTS Tamil Learning Center in a grand event held at the Lucky Darbar Restaurant Hall. The evening was a vibrant blend of cultural pride, academic recognition, and community spirit.
The program was initiated by Mr. Jay Shankar with the Indian and Saudi national anthems coordinated by Mr. Senthil Raja and Mr. Al Amaan, followed by the Tamil Thaai Vazhthu (Invocation to Mother Tamil). The first event featured Master Faheem reciting a passage from the Quran. This was followed by Mr. Kaja Muhaideen who delivered the welcome address. Mr. Parthiban carried a brief yet insightful overview of the 25-year history of Jeddah Tamil Sangam (JTS), highlighting its humble beginnings, steady growth, and the impactful role it has played in uniting and uplifting the Tamil-speaking community in Jeddah. The event commenced with a graceful Bharatanatyam welcome dance performed by Miss Abinethra Anand and Miss Yuthika Jayaravindran. Their elegant movements and expressive choreography captured the essence of traditional Tamil culture, setting a vibrant and auspicious tone for the proceedings. This classical performance marked the official start of the event and was warmly received by the audience, symbolizing the rich heritage and artistic spirit that Jeddah Tamil Sangam proudly upholds.
Dr. Jayashree Moorthy then explained the purpose of the Tamil Learning Center and outlined future plans.
Mrs. Farah Masood, Vice Principal of Jeddah Indian International School; Mrs. Bhuvaneswari, Principal of Al Warood School; and Dr. Revathi were honoured and felicitated for their contributions.
Mrs. Humaira Naseem, Academic Director of Delhi Public School (Al-Falah) who has been supporting JTS and to the Tamil Community by providing classrooms for the continuous Tamil Learning Center classes are being honoured, she highly appreciated JTS initiative.
Mrs. Farah Masood, Vice Principal of Jeddah Indian International School; Mrs. Bhuvaneswari, Principal of Al Warood School, Dr. Revathi and Mrs. Humaira Naseem, Academic Director of Delhi Public School (Al-Falah) appreciated and distributed Certificates and Plaques to students and their Parents from Tamil Nadu who scored high marks and passed the 10th and 12th board exams as well as six students who scored the highest marks in the Tamil subject.
As special guests, Mrs. Hema and Mr. Zubair, members of the Jeddah Indian International School management committee also attended and praised the students.
Children studying at the JTS Tamil Learning Center demonstrated their talents by narrating moral stories under the themes:
1. Panchathantra Stories
2. Tenali Raman & Akbar Birbal Stories
3. Thirukkural Moral Stories
They spoke in fluent Tamil, captivating the audience, who were appreciated and awarded medals to celebrate their efforts.
Further, the first term completion ceremony of the JTS Tamil Learning Center, which was started by Jeddah Tamil Sangam eight months ago to teach Tamil to young children, was held. Children aged between five and seven spoke beautifully in Tamil and performed Tamil dramas and cultural programs that charmed the audience.
Mr. Ahmad Basha, Mr. Fayas, Mr. Perarasu, Mr. Ramana, Mr. Radhakrishnan distributed certificates and medals to all the participating children on behalf of Jeddah Tamil Sangam. Volunteer teachers who had dedicatedly taught Tamil to the children over the past eight months were honoured with mementos presented by Mr. Moorthy and Mr. Ramanujam as a token of JTS appreciation.
With the contributions of the Academic Planning Committee members—Dr. Hema, Dr. Thangam, Dr. Jayashree Moorthy, Dr. Kavitha—and the coordination of teachers by Mrs. Sathya, along with all the voluntary teachers, besides the full support of executive members of Jeddah Tamil Sangam, the event was successfully conducted.
Following cultural performances by Tamil Learning Center students from the Alli, Malligai, and Sooriyakanthi groups, the first term completion ceremony for the JTS Tamil Learning Center concluded with a vote of thanks.
A discussion session was held then between the guests and the volunteer teachers to explore ways to enhance Tamil education for children, ensuring the language thrives among the diaspora. In this discussion, future plans for the Tamil Learning Center and ways to further develop the children’s Tamil language skills were explored.
Mr. Moorthy honoured all the guests attending the event by presenting bouquets.
After nearly four hours of vibrant and engaging program segments, Mr. Ijaz Ahmed delivered the vote of thanks, concluded by reaffirming Jeddah Tamil Sangam’s commitment to Tamil education, proudly announcing that the Tamil learning classes will resume after the holiday break. This announcement was met with resounding applause from the audience, reflecting the community’s strong support and enthusiasm for the initiative.
Finally, on behalf of the parents, Mr. Ganesh expressed heartfelt appreciation and thanks for the efforts of Jeddah Tamil Sangam in leading this noble initiative.
The entire event was excellently compiled and impeccably hosted by Mr. Jay Shankar, Mr. Sivakumar and Mr. Senthil Raja, whose engaging presence and smooth coordination ensured the program flowed effortlessly from one segment to the next. The program concluded on a warm and celebratory note with a dinner reception, providing attendees an opportunity to connect, reflect, and share in the spirit of community fellowship.
