01-08-2025
Avoca's cultural activist to visit motherland
A YOUNG cultural activist and content designer from Avoca, Darsha Ellan, has been selected to represent SA on the prestigious Reaching Your Roots educational tour to Tamil Nadu, India, this month.
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The programme, now in its fourth cohort, is an initiative of the Tamil Nadu government in partnership with the Padimurai Tamil Federation. It seeks to reconnect Tamil youth from around the world with their ancestral heritage, culture, and language through a guided and immersive experience in India.
Ellan is one of only 10 participants chosen from SA following a competitive application process.
'I submitted an application to the Padimurai Tamil Federation expressing my deep interest in exploring my Tamil heritage. After a careful selection process, I was shortlisted and confirmed as a participant,' she said.
Currently a content designer at Villaku Ilam, Ellan is also an active youth member of the Hindu Unity Forum of SA and serves at the Greenwood Park Shree Ranganathar Temple Society. Through these roles she has been at the forefront of promoting Tamil identity, spirituality, and culture among the South African youth.
'I believe I was selected because of my cultural involvement and consistent efforts to preserve our heritage. As a fifth-generation South African Tamil who has never had the chance to visit India, this opportunity is deeply personal and meaningful to me.'
Participants on the tour will visit culturally and historically significant sites throughout Tamil Nadu, including ancient temples, language and arts institutions, universities, and centres dedicated to preserving Tamil customs and knowledge. While the specific itinerary will be confirmed closer to the travel date, the tour promises to offer a rich educational experience steeped in heritage.
'The aim of this tour is to help diasporic Tamil youth reconnect with their roots, language, and traditional values. It also gives us the opportunity to serve as cultural ambassadors, representing not just South Africa, but the global Tamil community,' said Ellan.
Reflecting on what she hopes to achieve, Ellan said she expects the journey to be transformative.
'This is a chance to go beyond textbooks and cultural events and actually experience our traditions where they were born. I want to learn more about the origins of our customs, temple rituals, and artistic traditions like Bharatanatyam and Kolam and deepen my understanding of the Tamil language.'
The fully-funded programme will cover international flights, accommodation, meals, and transport within India.
'It's an incredibly generous initiative by the Tamil Nadu government and one that I am honoured to be part of,' she said.
Ellan's excitement is deeply rooted in a personal dream that began years ago when her older brother, Ashlin, participated in a previous cohort as the only South African chosen.
'Watching his journey and the pride he came back with inspired me. I remember saying to myself, 'One day, I'll go too.' And now, that dream is becoming a reality.'
'I want to bring these lessons back home, so that more young South Africans can feel proud of where we come from.'
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