News by Anil Pernal
Pics by Wilfred Pangla
Daijiworld Media Network—Muscat (CN)

Muscat, Oct 5: “Though we are far from our beloved homeland we haven’t forgotten our roots and traditions of celebrating this beautiful feast of nativity and the birthday of our mother Mary. By uniting tonight here as a whole family, we are expressing our spirit of oneness and celebrating the richness of our tradition of eating together the blessed new yield of the year which has been flown in from our beloved homeland’’, said Wilfred R Pangal, the compere at the Monthi Fest celebrations held by Muscat United Pangalites (MUP).

The event was held at Ruwi Parkway Restaurant recently and began at 9 pm. The new president of MUP, Arun D’Souza welcomed the gathering. Laveena D’Sa took the lead for the prayer by gathering all the children together and singing ‘Sakkad Sangatha Melya’ hymn. Everyone offered flowers to Monthi Mai and sang in chorus.

The gathering paid homage to the late Victor Saldanha, who died a day before in Pangal, after a brief illness. Members of the newly-elected committee for 2010-11 who were felicitated are:

President-Arun D’Souza
Secretary-Lata D’Sa
Treasurer-Melwyn Menezes
Panglacho Prakas Rep-Wilfred R Pangla

Core committee members:
Henry Martis, Stany Jovin Menezes, Vinay Nazareth, Sunil D’Sa, Remi Lobo, Prakash D’Sa, and Richard Lobo.

Various games were conducted for adults and children besides humour poetry and jokes. All members were served the traditional milk with the new yield mixed in it. A traditional dinner was served on banana leaves with 11 types of vegetables. The evening ended with the vote of thanks by Remy Lobo.