Five charity Queens for Sangam centennial

Five charity queen contestants will vie for the Then India Sanmarga Ikya (TISI) Sangam centennial celebrations during the Easter weekend in Nadi.

The contestants are sponsored by five Sangam secondary schools — Penang Sangam High School, Ba Sangam College, Sangam Sadhu Kuppuswamy Memorial College in Nadi, Suva Sangam College, and Labasa Sangam College.

TISI Sangam president Praveen Bala said this event is part of the journey towards - marking 100 years of the organisation’s legacy, honouring a century of service, unity, and progress.

He said district-level events held last year marked the start of the year-long celebrations, leading up to the grand centennial milestone in Easter 2026.

“Preparations are well underway as we have already visited districts such as Rakiraki, Nasinu, Suva, Nabua and Labasa, where former Sangam executives were honoured with centennial plaques,” Mr Bala said.

“This Saturday, we will host members from the Lautoka district at the Girmit Centre. At this function, we will also have the first public appearance of our five charity queen contestants.”

Mr Bala said a torch relay would be held in March.

“We want to go as far as the places where the first South Indians came to this country. The purpose is to take the torch of unity to our people, Sangam schools, and temples, so even schoolchildren can experience the significance of the torch,” he said.

He added that the centennial weekend would also feature an exhibition, with the Maathar Sangam (women’s wing), non-government organisations and Government departments setting up booths.

The organisers have also secured the old temple site on the riverbank in Nadi town, where Sangam was founded.

“That is where we will build a model of the first temple, along with billboards outlining the formation of Sangam, so today’s generation and future generations will know where Sangam began,” Mr Bala said.