Maaveerar Day

Maaveerar Day or Heroes' Day is a day of commemoration observed by pro LTTE people to remember the deaths of militants fighting for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam which is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by 32 countries (see list), in their struggle for a separate homeland in the Northern and Eastern parts of Sri Lanka.

It is held each year on 27 November, the date on which the first Tamil Tiger, "Lt." Shankar, said to died be in combat in 1982.

The common tradition is to light oil lamps for the three days ending on the 27th and to raise the national flag of Tamil Eelam at the ceremonies. The symbol for Maaveerar Day, like a poppy is for Remembrance Day, is the Karthigaipoo (Gloriosa Lily), which blooms during November.

External links

* [http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=79&artid=11322 Karthigaipoo Becomes National flower of Eelam Tamils]
* [http://www.tamilnation.org/tamileelam/maveerar/index.htm Maaveerar - மாவீரர் - அணையாத தீபங்கள்]