With April already halfway over, an auspicious period in the Hindu calendar will now begin. Mid-April represents the flowering of a new year and accompanying festivals and celebrations for numerous areas and towns across our stunningly diversified country. From West Bengal in the east to Kerala in the south, various nooks and crannies of India come alive during this season with the promise of a bright new beginning in the form of regional festivals and rituals centered on embracing the first day of the new year.
The Tamil New Year is one such holiday that is practically upon
us. The Tamil New Year, also known as Puthandu or Puthuvarusham, marks the
first day of the Tamil month of Chithirai, or the start of the new year. The
Tamil New Year celebration, which is relevant to practically all regions in
India, consists of several key customs and practices, as well as broad
celebratory fervor. On that topic, here's a quick rundown of everything you
need to know about Puthandu, or Tamil New Year 2022.
In India, Who Celebrates New Year Along With Tamilnadu?
Kerala celebrates Vishu on this day. We obtain the Bengali and
Assamese word and celebration Bihu from Vishu, which is also celebrated on the
same day. Vaisakhi or Baisakhi is also celebrated in North India.
Who Celebrates New Year's Eve All Across The World?
The same day is observed in Sri Lanka as the Sinhala New Year,
Aluth Avurudda. Many people in the northern hemisphere are celebrating New
Year's Day, from South East Asia to the Caspian Sea. Indonesia, Thailand,
Burma, and Azerbaijan are among the countries that observe the New Year at this
time.
Significance And Origin Of The Festival
The Tamil calendar follows a conventional 60-year cycle marked by 5 Jupiter revolutions and 2 Saturn revolutions, with each year beginning with the month of Chithirai. The Tamil New Year coincides with the spring equinox, which corresponds to the 14th of April in the Gregorian calendar. There are several mentions of this day in Tamil literature, ranging from Nakkirar in the third century declaring the movement of the Sun from Aries through the eleven consecutive zodiac signs as occurring on this day, to the ancient Tamil grammar Tolkaapiyam dividing the year into six distinct seasons, with this day marking the beginning of Summer. The day of Puthandu, or Tamil New Year festival, has been identified as a critical day by various inscriptional references and in pious Tamil writings, and thus established as an ancient celebration of the first day of the first month of the Tamil solar calendar.
Why Is Puthandu, The Tamil New Year, Celebrated On A Different Day Than Ugadi?
Tamil Nadu uses a solar calendar known as the Sauramana
calendar. The movement of the sun is utilized as the basis for calculating the
time of year in this sort of calendar. Our forefathers used the day the sun is
exactly above the equator to mark the beginning of a new year. The word 'Vishu'
is derived from Vishwadrutta Rekha, which means the equator, or the line that
splits the world into two halves. This day is the vernal equinox.
The equinox used to be around April 14th in ancient times
(today, it is March 21st). This disparity is due to the equinox's precision,
which you can learn more about here.
How Do Tamilians Celebrate Puthandu, The Tamil New Year?
While the Tamil New Year is generally celebrated on the 14th of April each year, preparations for the important festival begin far in advance. Two of the most important aspects of a traditional Tamil New Year celebration are comprehensive cleaning and decoration of the house, as well as making food arrangements according to the Arusuvai principle.
Most Puthandu festival attendees spend the day before the
festival cleaning their homes in preparation for a new beginning. Every surface
and nook of the house has been cleaned and dusted, and the overall environment
has been tidied to festival standards. Tamilians perform this comprehensive
home cleaning on the night of Tamil New Year following the idea that all old
negativity must be discarded to make room for something new. In addition to
cleaning their homes, Tamilians decorate their homes for festivals, such as
adorning the doorway with strings of mango leaves. The entrances to houses are
ornamented with colorful kolams (beautiful designs drawn on the ground with rice
powder). A kuthuvillaku, or lamp, is lit in the center of the kolam to fend
against the darkness of life. The cheerful look is completed by the
multicolored flowers.
In front of the pooja room, people lay mangoes, bananas
and jackfruit, raw bananas, and other seasonal vegetables on a tray/plate,
along with rice, betel leaves, areca nuts, money - gold and silver jewelry and
coins, flowers, and a mirror.
Tamil New Year And Ritual Of Kanni
This collection of objects on a tray or platter is considered auspicious.
This is the first thing you will see when you wake up on New Year's Day (known
as Kanni or auspicious sight).
Seasonal fruits such as mangoes and jackfruits indicate health,
while rice represents sustenance, money signifies wealth and prosperity, and
jewelry represents beauty and decoration. To express gratitude for their
blessings and assistance, the elders in the house are given betel leaves. The
mirror's purpose is to reflect and multiply all of life's good things!
Essentially, it is a symbolic offering that honors the agrarian civilization that we are while also welcoming all of the elements that contribute to a healthy, happy, full, and filled existence.
Tamil New Year Customs
On the day of the Puthandu festival, Tamilians rise early in the
morning and take a head-to-toe cleansing wash to kick off the festivities. Many
Tamilians use the festival day to take a herbal bath, such as one with
turmeric, however, most current members take a conventional bath.
While it is not required, most Tamilian families dress up during
the Puthandu festival. Wearing new clothes, like taking a cleansing bath in the
morning, is a way to signal a new beginning. Needless to say, the final few
days of the year see throngs of excited Tamilians going to stores and shopping
for apparel.
On the morning of the Puthandu festival, family members assemble
to pray and make sacrifices to their idols. The prayers include Aarathi and
Saambrani, as well as chanting, singing holy hymns, and striking brass bells.
On Tamil New Year, many Tamilians attend temples to pray and express their
devotion.
On Puthandu, the younger members and children of the family receive gifts or money from the elders. The head priest or the eldest family member reads aloud the Panchagam, a Hindu calendar, and almanack.
Tamil New Year Food Menu
• Medhu/Ulandhu Vadai (fried savories made of urad dal)
• Payasam (pal/milk, paruppu /jaggery, and channa/Bengal gram
dal)
• Poli (sweet rotis)
• Mango pachadi (sweet and sour mango side dish)
• Sakkarai Pongal (sweet pongal)
• Kosambari (moong dal salad)
• Avial (Mixed vegetable stew)
• Poosanikai Kootu (Pumpkin stew)
• Vazhakkai curry (Raw banana curry)
• Cabbage poriyal (sautéed cabbage fry)
• Vepamboo rasam (Neem flower rasam)
• Aplam (thin, crisp flatbread)
• Manga Urgai (Freshly-made mango pickle)
• Neer mor (spicy
buttermilk)
• Panagam (jaggery water with cardamom powder)
• Curd
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