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When the white froth of boiling rice emerges from the fruits of the first paddy harvest, Pongal has officially begun.

The festival is celebrated across South East Asia by the Tamil community, marking the harvest and the start of the new year.

This is the sixth year that Newham is celebrating Pongal with lights across High Street North in East Ham, which will be displayed for a week.

At the switching-on ceremony, the borough’s only Tamil Councillor, Paul Sathianesan, said: “This year the lights are dedicated to peace because in Sri Lanka so many people, including women and children, are being killed. Everywhere in the world where there is trouble we want to see peace.�

Cllr Sathianesan estimates that there are between five and eight thousand Tamils living in Newham. High Street North is a hub for Tamil businesses, and has a Tamil mosque, temple and church.

Newham and Tower Hamlets reporter Angela Saini went to the Pongal celebrations in East Ham. To see her report click on the link at the top right.