Kuala Lumpur: In keeping with the 1Malaysia concept, the national Ponggal festival, the harvest thanksgiving celebrated by Tamils, will be open to all races. More than 10,000 Malaysians nationwide are expected to participate in the '2010 1Malaysia National Ponggal Festival' which will be celebrated from Sunday to Feb 14.

The main celebration will be held in Brickfields here on Sunday from 10am till noon, MIC information chief P. Kamalanathan, who is the advisor of the event, told reporters here on Tuesday.

The ceremony will be officiated by Federal Territories and Urban Well-being Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin.

Events will also be held in Kedah, Perak, Malacca, Johor, Pahang, Terengganu, Sarawak and Negeri Sembilan.

"The national ponggal festival is being held for the eighth time and has become a part of Malaysian culture. In fact, we have called this year's event, '2010 1Malaysia National Ponggal Celebration' to commemorate the 1Malaysia concept," said Kamalanathan.

Ponggal is celebrated by Tamils worldwide as a harvest thanskgiving affair during which clay pots of milk are boiled until they spill over to signify prosperity for the family in the year ahead.

Those interested in the celebration at Brickfields can contact S. Padmarajah (012-6711634) and M. Ravi (017-3999000).