​Tamil & Sanskrit: The two eyes of Siva

Date: 31st July 2021

By virtue of their antiquity, independent tradition and rich body of ancient literature, both Tamil and Sanskrit are among the great classical languages of the world. They spawned vastly different and independent legacies in language and literature. Perhaps, no one knows this better than Professor George Hart, a rare American scholar of Tamil and Sanskrit, who received his PhD in Sanskrit from Harvard University in 1970 and has been a Professor of Tamil at the University of California, Berkeley since 1975. He also played a seminal role in securing the status of “classical language'' for Tamil from the Indian government.
CSTC & NLB are delighted to invite you to a talk in English by Prof. Hart titled “Tamil & Sanskrit: The two eyes of Siva” where he will shed light on how Tamil and Sanskrit, together, contributed to the intellectual culture of ancient India.
Join us online on Saturday, 31 July 2021 at 8.30pm. 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://nlbsingapore.zoom.us/j/99175623345?pwd=U2FlTzdhejhHZ0RvMUhvOFdQTWYzZz09

Meeting ID: 991 7562 3345
Passcode: 602252

Interview with Srijan

Date: 10th July 2021

Chinese Version Link: https://youtu.be/emYdUcL3BAc
English Version Link: https://youtu.be/zir-U97kfN0


He was unable to articulate himself till the age of six. But, by the time he left primary school, S S Srijan became proficient in three languages i.e. English, Chinese and Tamil. His linguistic journey is akin to a roller-coaster ride. Taking up Chinese as his mother tongue in primary school, Srijan fails the subject in Primary 5 but goes on to score an ‘A’ in that subject at the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE). He describes humbly his journey as an “interesting stroke of fate”. Whether it is divine agency or not, you will find out from his interview that there is no denying his diligence and determination in overcoming his linguistic challenges during his formative years.

A Talk on Hari Raya Puasa & Hari Raya Haji

Date: 8th May 2021
Time: 5.00pm - 6.30pm
Link: https://youtu.be/gHJNvTiqWlY

Did you know that Hari Raya is not the Muslim new year? Did you know that only in Singapore Hari Raya Puasa is celebrated for a month? Did you know that Singapore was the main embarkation and disembarkation point for Haj pilgrims in the 20th century? All these questions and more were answered by Mr Mohamed Imran Taib from the Centre for Interfaith Understanding (Singapore) in an engaging session organized by CSTC recently. Watch the full session here to learn more about the main religious festivals of the Singapore Malay/Muslims, Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji.

Speaker: Mohamed Imran Taib, Centre for Interfaith Understanding
Host: Harini V, CSTC
 

Tour of Exhibition on Chinese Culture at 
Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre   

Date: 3rd April 2021
Time: 10.00am - 12.00pm
Venue: Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC), 1 Straits Boulevard, Singapore 018906

SINGAPO人: Discovering Chinese Singaporean Culture opened on 13 July 2020, as the inaugural permanent exhibition of the (SCCC). The exhibition casts a spotlight on how Chinese heritage, cultural interactions, and public policies have shaped Chinese culture in Singapore, and led it to evolve in ways which are different from other Chinese communities in the world. Featuring multimedia and immersive exhibits with contributions from the community, SINGAPO人 highlights the many facets of our distinctive Chinese Singaporean identity – from food to music; popular culture and language; and festivals.

CSTC believed this exhibition is a great educational opportunity for our members and, with the kind support of SCCC, organised a guided tour of the exhibition on 3 April 2021. As our member Subramaniam Nadaison later said, “It provided an excellent opportunity to gain a better understanding of the links between mainland Chinese and Singaporean Chinese. Also, the interconnectedness between the Chinese culture and other major ethnic cultures of Singapore was interesting in areas such as language, religion, lifestyle, festivals, values, family tree, legends etc.” On the whole it was an eye-opener for many visitors.

SCCC Coordinators: Shaun Choh & Vincent Loh
Exhibition Docents from SCCC: Constance Ong & Mina Chan

Chinese New Year Traditions 

Date: 7th February 2021
Time: 5.00pm - 6.00pm
Link: https://youtu.be/LB4jQznfnP8

Did you know that Yusheng was invented in Singapore? Did you also know that our favourite CNY goodies, pineapple tarts and love letters, are unique to Singapore and Malaysia? Learn more about the Singaporean Chinese culture and how our multiracial and multicultural environment has influenced the celebration of the traditional Lunar New Year. Shaun Choh from the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre explains what makes our CNY celebrations, uniquely Singapore.



Speakers: Shaun Choh, Assistant Curator, Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre.
Host: Elakeyaa Selvaraji, CSTC

Naalum Oru Kavithai

Date: 14th April 2020 - 14th June 2020
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlWkYM25Wk4&list=PLnzooCMzISnSBoNtGdWJj7LmarcwFJ3l9&ab_channel=SingaporeTamil
 

During this corona virus pandemic, many Tamil students and youth may be sharing and consuming a variety of information on social media. Most of the content or campaigns created during this period are primarily in English and focus on creating awareness around the pandemic, health precautions, thanking frontline workers and sharing activities that are fun and entertaining while staying home i.e. reading, music, workout routines, health recipes, etc.

One of such activities that inspired this proposal was Sir Patrick Stewart’s daily reading of Shakespeare sonnets for his fans, while he was self-isolating. Fans of Stewart watch a new video each day from the actor, who has an extensive background in performing Shakespeare's works on stage. 

Thirukkural: Sacred or Secular?

Date: 5th October 2019

Time: 4.00pm - 6.30pm

Venue: The Pod (Level 16), The National Library, 100 Victoria Street

Link: https://youtu.be/b75JIuyd1JQ

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Considered the greatest of the Tamil texts, it offers profound insights into how life should be lived, both externally and internally. While widely respected, Thirukkural has also generated spirited debates about its underlying perspective – is it a secular perspective or a religious perspective? If religious, which religion does it represent? Such questions are intriguing and have to be resolved entirely by reference to the text itself, as there is little external evidence one way or another. 
 

To help us explore these questions, three thought leaders shared their views.

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Prof S Thinnappan, a leading Tamil scholar in Singapore; 
Mr Sabaratnam Ratnakumar, who has translated Thirukkural into English, and

Mr Subramaniam Nadaison, a Master Teacher in Tamil in the Ministry of Education. 
 

The forum was presented in English and moderated by Mr. Arun Mahizhnan.

What's in a New Year?

Date:  31th March 2019
Time: 3pm - 5pm
Venue: The Pod, Level 16, National Library, 100 Victoria Street

Link: https://youtu.be/P4TcFvnFBiw

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This programme discussed several New Years celebrated by different cultures in Singapore and provided not commonly known insights into the philosophy and significance of each celebration.

Panelists: Dr Geoff Benjamin, Mr Mohamed Imran Mohamed Taib, Dr Sureshkumar Muthukumar and Dr Vivienne Wee. 
Host: Jayasutha Samuthiran