Australia with a population of over 18 million has about 30,000 Tamils spread out in all the six states, but the concentration is mainly in the states of New South Wales and Victoria. New Zealand has about 3,000 Tamils, mostly professionals who have migrated on their own. In Fiji, out of an Indian population of 350,000, the Tamils could number about 80,000.
In Australia, there are more than ten Hindu temples spread over all the states. Thus, the Pongal festival is celebrated by Tamils residing these, though the manner of celebration is not as traditional as those celebrating it in India. In New Zealand, attempts are being made by Tamils to construct temples and organize Pongal festival to consolidate their cultural and religious links. In Fiji, most of the Tamils have lost their Tamil identity and are Tamils only in name. The South Indian Sanmarga Sangam is the pioneer body that forged the Tamil culture and the Hindu practices in the country by celebrating the harvest festival of Pongal.
