Harvest festivals are older than temples and churches. Long before theology was articulated and liturgy formalised, human beings learned to look at the soil, the rain and the grain and to recognise a simple truth: life is received, not manufactured.
Father Costanzo Giuseppe Beschi (1680–1747) was sent to the Madurai Jesuit Mission, Tamil Nadu, in 1711. He is popularly known as ‘Veeramamunivar’ (courageous sage). He made extensive contributions to Tamil language and Literature and For his contributions to Tamil language and literature and is referred to as the 'Father of Tamil Prose'.
Tamil Catholics and Hindus in Sri Lanka recently held a joint celebration of the Thai Pongal, a traditional Tamil cultural festival dedicated to the harvest and the sun.
