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Traditions and customs of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year

The Sinhala and Tamil New Year is one of the most important and awaited holidays on the Sri Lankan calendar. Referred to as the Aluth Avurudda by the Sinhalese and Puthandu by the Tamil community, this is celebrated in many households as the sun moves from Pisces (commonly referred to as Meena Rashiya) to Aries (commonly referred to as Mesha Rashiya) marking the end of the harvest season. This joyous occasion celebrated during April 13 and 14 is an annual expression of the rich culture of the multi-ethnic island nation. Through the many interesting customs, delicious traditional sweetmeats and food and the fun activities, this time of the year creates an opportunity for all Sri Lankans to unite, offer gratitude and celebrate as one nation.

Sinhalese New Year customs and traditions

Nonagathaya/Punya Kalaya

The time slot between the ending of the Old Year and the dawning of the New Year which is referred as the Nonagathe, Nonagathaya or Punya Kalaya is a neutral time.

According to Sinhalese beliefs, this time is used to observe and perform religious ceremonies. During this time period, people are seen heading to their respective temples clad in white. Buddhist Sri Lankans are also encouraged to refrain from engaging in any of their day-to-day activities and to engage in religious activities and seek blessings from priests or monks.

Welcoming the New Year

As this annual celebration is of utmost importance to most Sri Lankans, preparation for the New Year begins very early. From cleaning and repainting households to buying new clothes for family members and preparing traditional sweetmeats, the New Year duties are endless. The purchase of the new clay pot is also considered to be an important tradition. The traditional milk rice is prepared thereafter and the rest of the traditional sweets such as Kavum, Konda Kavum, Kalu Dodol, Kokis, Mung Kevum, Aluva, Mung Guli, Naaran Kavum, Athirasa, Aasmi, Pani Walalu (Unduwel) and many more are served among the family and then distributed among neighbors as well. This simple gesture symbolises unity amongst all without boundaries or biases.

The auspicious time is also when many adults and children commence their work with the determination to do better and achieve their goals during the New Year. From farmers to school children, many are seen participating in their routine work. Another tradition which has been passed down over centuries in Sri Lanka is paying homage to elders. A sheaf of betel leaves is presented to all elders in the family while the young ones seek their blessings for the future.

In between all these rituals, a special ceremony is held to anoint oil which is usually conducted by the oldest family member, and bathing for the New Year. This is practiced in their respective temples as well where the prelate is seen carrying out the tradition which symbolises good health. Auspicious times are provided in the Palapala Litha where there is also a time to leave for jobs. Many people head towards their home towns during the New Year Holidays and head back to their work places with the hope of doing better in the coming year. Another such tradition carried out is the tradition of visiting relatives, neighbours and kith and kin, usually with delicious New Year’s food and/or gift items.

These are just a few of the customs and traditions carried out by the Sinhala people as a part of their celebrations for the New Year.

Tamil New Year customs and traditions

The Tamil community also celebrate the New Year, commonly known as Puththandu, by observing the traditions and rituals practiced by ancestors over the years. These Tamil traditions are slightly different from the traditions followed by the Sinhala people although the ultimate wish and expectation for the dawning the New Year may be common to everyone.

Homes are cleaned and made ready prior to the occasion. On the day of the dawn of the New Year, during the auspicious time, Maruthu Neer which is clean water boiled with various herbs, selected flowers and leaves, milk, saffron and other ingredients are made by the priests in temples. The Maruthu Neer is then applied on the heads of all family members prior to bathing. New clothes are recommended according to the colours mentioned in the almanac. A sweet rice is made if possible, with new raw red rice, jaggery, cashew nuts, ghee and plums.

A visit to the temple is a must. Customarily alms should be offered to the poor. During the auspicious time, the sweet rice is partaken by the family. Later, the head of the family gives money, betel leaves, paddy and flowers referred to as Kai Vishesham in Tamil, to the family members and wishes them good luck.

Moreover, the head of the family performs, Er Mangalam during this time. Being an agrarian community, ploughing becomes the traditional act on New Year’s Day. Likewise, a teacher would start a lesson, a trader starts a new account, a craftsman starts his craft and so on.

Similar to the Sinhalese custom, visiting relatives and entertaining relatives and friends are also important features of the Tamil New Year celebrations.

Aside from all the different customs and traditions carried out as a part of the celebration of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, there are many games and activities that people of all cultures engage in together and enjoy. The New Year games can be categorised as indoor and outdoor games. Some of the indoor games are, bello (sea shells) and kaju (cashew nuts).

A special characteristic of the indoor games is that most indoor games are played while sitting on the floor and not on chairs. The outdoor games are havari hengima (hiding the wig), chaggudu and kotta pora (pillow-fighting), kathuru oncilla, ankeliya, olinda keliya, eluvan keliya, mevara sellama, raban upatha, buhu keliya, muthi gesilla, rena dela del, muthu keliya, onchili varam and mee sellama.

The significance of the games is that everyone regardless of the age, gets themselves involved in the competitions. Added to that, when these games are played on a village-scale, the entire neighbourhood gets together which enhances the unity and eliminate the misunderstandings of the past, setting the perfect peaceful and united atmosphere for the New Year, amongst the society.

Illustration: Jagath Punchihewa 

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The Sinhala New Year; A festival of gratitude and harmony

• Ama Vanniarachchy

Reconnecting with our roots

The month of April or Bak, is a time of celebration for the Sinhalese. The April festival is known as the Sinhalese New Year.  This festival season is more about a harvest festival and a set of age old rituals of paying gratitude towards Mother Nature and the gods of harvest.

During the month of April, farmers harvest their crops. The first harvesting is celebrated with rituals and festivals. In Sinhalese language, these rituals are called as Aluth Sahal Mangalya and the Karal Perahera. Most of these rituals has lost their roots and authenticity by now and the Sinhala New Year festival has lost its traditional flavour. It has become a major target of the apparel industry, food industry and the entertainment business. Also as many Sri Lankans are giving up on their traditional life styles and are forgetting their roots, such cultural festivals are also fading away.

A festival of the farmers

Harvest festivals are not unique only among the Sinhalese. It is an ancient festival common in many agrarian societies. The time of celebrations among these communities depends on the geographical location.

In the past where agriculture played the most important role of our lives, this festival was a set of rituals that we paid our gratitude towards the Sun, the cattle and other elements of nature and to renew human relationships. These elements of nature were personified as various deities. Although at present we do not worship the Sun, during early historic times the Sinhalese have venerated Surya as a powerful deity. These cults have completely faded away.

April is called as the month of Bak in Sinhalese. This is the time when the crops are ready to be harvested. The first potion of the harvest is offered to Buddha and gods. Afterwards people would take a break from their strenuous life, spend time with families, renewing human relationships, playing games and enjoying a time of dance and music. Gradually, this became a major festival of the Sinhalese.

A glimpse of History as recorded by Robert Knox in the late 17th century

The following description is taken from the records of Robert Knox:

The Sinhalese celebrated their New Year on the 27thor 28th of March. On one of these days, at a given auspicious time, the king will take the holy bath. This is an event of great importance. The royal palace is decorated beautifully. Thorana or pandols are prominent among these decorations. One pandol has seven or nine towering pillars. Centre of each thorana is an arch shaped entrance. Flags are hung on the top of each pillar. Large paintings of humans, animals, birds and flowers are among the attractive decorations. These are painted on large fabric. Fruits are also used for decorations. Each side of the arch shaped entrance is adorned with plantain trees which has ripped plantains.

There are tall pillars that stands in solitude and these pillars are supporting long vertical shaped flags. These colourful vertical shaped flags are decked with tiny bells. With all these decorations the royal palace looks enchanting than a gods’ abode.

To enhance the grandeur further, military army troops are stationed near the royal palace. Meanwhile the king enters the Ulpange (the water palace or the royal bathing house). Bathing equipment, baths and showers are in this house. Also there are servants who are in duty to assist the king in his bathing. After the royal bath, the king comes out to meet his subjects. The military takes their places all decked up in Armor. As the king comes out of the bathing house, cannon are shot as an honour to the king. Then the officials meet the king, according to the order of their rankings. These officials pay tribute to the king and this is called as Awurudu dakum. Each official is accompanied by their servants and the tribute is carried by these men. The officials kneel in front of the king and place them in front of the king’s feet. These tributes consists of gold, gems, precious metal objects, weapons, and precious fabric. Sometimes they also paid tribute in money. The value of the tribute depended on the ranks and power of each official.

A festival to celebrate nature

Here is a brief description of some vanishing rituals of the traditional Sinhala New Year festival.

Aluth Sahal mangalya – It is recorded that during the Kandyan kingdom, the king performed this ritual by harvesting the paddy using a golden sickle. There was a separate paddy field dedicated to perform this ritual which was called as the Thingula wela. Even today this Thingula wela, situated at Gurudeniya is used to perform the Aluth Sahal mangalya in Kandy. Once the king harvests the first set of crops, the rest of the royals and officials follow the king and the crops are taken to the granary.

Then the uncooked rice is offered to the temple. During the Kandyan kingdom, the rice is taken to the Temple of the Tooth, to the Four Chief devalas and to the royal palace in a perahera. Once the rice is cooked it is offered to Buddha and to the gods. Until the rice is offered to the gods, villagers do not consume the rice.

The cooking process is performed as a sacred and pious ritual by the farmers. It is said that only pure coconut milk is used to prepare the milk rice. No water is mixed to the milk. Furthermore, only sandalwood or citrus wood is used to light the hearth.  The cooking area is covered with curtains and the farmers who are doing the cooking has to cover their mouths with a clean piece of cloth. 

Once the villagers harvest crops from their paddy field, the first potion is taken to the temple or the devale in a local perahara. These crops are offered to the deities and to the patron gods of the area as a gratitude and also to evoke their blessings. This perahera is called as the Karal perahera.

Once again villagers cook the rice using pure coconut milk, and offer the food to gods such as Kataragama, Pattini, Saman, Visnu and local deities such as Aiyyanaka, Kadawara, Dadimunda, Veeramunda. What is unique about this ritual is, these offering are not done inside a devale or a temple. The food is offered in a specially made ‘tattuwa’ and placed in a junction that has three pathways. This ritual is called as the Adukku baama. There is another ritual similar to this and milk rice is offered to holy women known as Kiri Ammas. During all these rituals the priest recites religious poems. All of these rituals continues for several days and several nights. The nights are illuminated with lamps and traditional torches. Traditional religious dances are also performed in honour of the deities.

All these rituals are performed to show gratitude to the patron gods and goddesses and to bless the villagers. Although these rituals are religious, they are entertaining too. These rituals display slight changes in different villages depending on their local beliefs and natural resources.

Once these main rituals are over, villagers enjoy meals together. Sweets are distributed among the villagers. Families spend quality time together. Every aspect of this festival reminds us of our belongingness to nature. Food is consumed on a table lightened by an oil lamp. Fire has always being considered as a symbol of purity and sanity. Use of the Beatle leaf hints of our ancient roots once again. The first bath is done using herbal mixed water. A unique feature of the Sinhala New Year is that our ancestors used keep away a kawuma for the flies, and give away Ghee mixed milk rice for the crows. These are not seen in harvest festivals held in other countries.

Hooting at the New Moon

On the New Year’s Eve, our ancestors would look at the New Moon. Once they see the New Moon they would hoot loud at the moon. And also they would eat coconut milk mixed with kithul jaggery. Today this is not a practiced ritual. However this is an innocent practice to show gratitude to the moon.

Let us reconnect with our roots

When tracing back the roots of this festival, it seems that this festival was refined by Buddhist philosophies as the Sinhala civilization was revitalized during the 3rd century BC after the introduction of Buddhism. As Buddhism became the state religion, pre-Buddhist beliefs were absorbed into the new culture. The April harvest festival or the New Year festival is one of those cultural events that was refashioned with time. Buddha and the Buddhist monks were given a prominent place in each and every ritual. The village temple plays the leading role. An oil lamp and other offerings are prepared to the Buddha in each home. People would start the New Year after visiting the temple and taking the blessings of the monk. The New Year’s Hisa thel gaame ritual is performed in the village temple by the chief monk. The first crops and rice are offered to Buddha and the monks. Secondly, people would pay gratitude to local deities and nature.

The Sinhalese New Year has gone through many changes with time and has lost its true purpose. As the Rajarata civilization was facing its demise, the Sinhala culture was also going through changes with the advancement of foreign influences. As a result, Hindu Vedic and Brahmin beliefs and rituals were forced into the Sinhala New Year festival. Adding into this, the modern marketing world has also ruined the authenticity and simplicity of this festival.

The crisis we are facing today due to this mysterious pandemic, has proven that we are merely another species on earth and that we are not the most powerful creature. Our greed and ego has broken the balance that should be maintained between human and nature. Consequently that has caused all the chaos that we are facing today. And this has reminded all of us about our ancestors’ healthier life styles and their intimacy with nature. It is high time that we look at this festival as an opportunity to renew our roots, pay gratitude towards nature, and most importantly to spread love and compassion towards every living being.

Uncategorized, april new year, harvest festival, sinhala new year, sri lankan new year 

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SINHALA AND TAMIL NEW YEAR: CUSTOMS, HISTORY, FOODS, GAMES AND TRADITIONS

Sinhala and tamil new year.

Sinhala and Tamil New Year is celebrated across Sri Lanka in April by the island’s two main ethnic groups. Originally a harvest festival, this event marks the passage of the sun from the constellation Pisces to Aries. The holiday is celebrated with traditional rituals, merrymaking, feasting and fun and games. Sinhala New Year is the Buddhist New Year. Tamil New Year is the Hindu New Year. They are both celebrated at the same time.

New Year — known as Aluth Avurudhu in Sinhala and Puththandu in Tamil — coincides with end of the harvest season and the run up to the monsoon season. It is a time when everything it seems has a special auspicious meaning or has to be done in a prescribed way. People are anointed in oil, cook and eat “kiri bath” (milk rice) and conduct their first business of the year. There are special clothes that are worn and proscribed directions that are faced when doing certain activities to maximize good fortune.

The New Year holiday season lasts for about a week. Many shops are closed and the public transport system is packed as people return to their home villages. When the family is all gathered together the house is thoroughly cleaned and a ritual “raban” drum is pounded. The first official act of the new year is the lighting of the hearth which is used to make the kiri bath. Other foods associated with the holiday include plantains, “kokis” (a Dutch sweetmeat) and “kaung” (an oily cake). Gifts are exchanged, often new clothes are put on after they are received.

Because the new year coincides with the time when the harvest ends, colorful fruit from the trees is collected in bulk to fuel the week-long celebrations. Festivities are prepared well in advance and most of the country grinds to a halt as hundreds travel home to be with their families and stores close down in their wake — it can be impossible to track down the simplest of things just before it all starts. Wealthy Sri Lankans make it an excuse to come home from wherever they are to make it a long holiday season. Those who can't handle the heat of the pre-monsoon season in the south escape to the cooler hills and indulge in the expensive pastimes of the elite — such as polo, golf, tennis and motor racing.

Bak and the Sinhala and Tamil New Year Season

Sinhala and Tamil New Year takes place in the month of Bak (April), which means “Times of Plenty”. Rohana R. Wasala wrote in The Island: The Sinhala Hindu New Year - the Aluth Avurudda - is celebrated in the month of Bak according to the Sinhalese calendar. The name ‘Bak’ derives from the Sanskrit word ‘bhagya’ meaning ‘fortunate’. The month of Bak corresponds to April in the Gregorian calendar, which is commonly used in Sri Lanka as it is in other parts of the world. Although there is usually little conspicuous seasonal change experienced in the course of the year in Sri Lanka except for a relatively hot August and a relatively cool December, the month of Bak is associated with a certain vernal atmosphere - an unusual freshness in nature enhanced by spring blossoms and azure skies despite occasional showers. This is also the time the ripened paddy is gathered in, which gives rise to a pervasive sense of plenty especially to rural Sri Lanka. [Source: Rohana R. Wasala, The Island, Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

W. T. A. Leslie Fernando wrote in The Island:“In our country some festival or other is celebrated almost every month. As Sri Lanka is a meeting point of four world religions, Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and Islam most of the festivals are associated with a religion. However the most widely celebrated festival is the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, which stimulates society, enlivens the nation and fosters, national consciousness. Earlier the Sinhala and Tamil New Year was celebrated mainly by the Buddhists and the Hindus in our country. Now Christians too participate in New Year celebrations and it has become almost a national festival. Both Easter and New Year fall during the same season of the year. In some years New year falls during or before the Holy Week, where Christians commemorate the Passion of Christ, in a penitential atmosphere. In that event Christians join New Year celebrations after the Holy Week. [Source: W. T. A. Leslie Fernando, The Island, Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

“The "cukoo" call of the ‘Koha’ during the harvesting time of Maha, the major rice crop in Sri Lanka, reminds that the New Year is approaching. And the beautiful Erobodu flowers begin to blossom. The bounties of farmers begin to fill. Nature brings the message and people prepare for this annual festival celebrated all over the country.

History of Sinhala and Tamil New Year

Prof. Nandasena Ratnapala: “The history of the New Year goes back to our primitive period in history. Various beliefs, perhaps those associated with fertility, gave birth to many rituals, customs and ceremonies connected with the New Year. The advent of Buddhism in the third century B.C. led to a re-interpretation of the existing New Year activities in the Buddhistic light. The majority of the people in our country were Buddhists, and as such, it is no surprise that the Buddhist outlook was predominant in transforming the New Year rites to what they are now (possessing a logical and positive base). [Source: Prof. Nandasena Ratnapala, Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

“Hinduism, on the other hand, existed side by side with Buddhism, in medieval times. New Year practices interpreted in the Hinduistic way developed among the Hindus. Buddhism and Hinduism were historically connected with each other. Their philosophies were running along parallel dimensions, except for certain ultimate truths concerning the self, the way to achieve emancipation and the nature of a creative god and nirvana (which Buddhism denies). There was no serious contradiction in New Year rituals that are found among the Buddhists and Hindus. Even today, Hinduism exists peacefully with Buddhism in the Buddhist areas. The organised rivalries appearing as ethnic diversions are the result of terrorist tactics which did not disturb the main lines of such peaceful integrative existence of the two religions.”

W. T. A. Leslie Fernando wrote in The Island: The Sinhalese have celebrated New Year from time immemorial. Robert Knox writes that during his time New Year was a major festival of the Sinhalese and it was celebrated in March. It could be that during the latter part of the Kandyan rule, the Nayakkar Kings who gave royal patronage to New Year shifted the festival to April to fall in line with Tamil New Year called "Pudu Varsham". [Source: W. T. A. Leslie Fernando, The Island, Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

“Festivities similar to our New Year in this season are found in India, Iran, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Taiwan, Japan, China and some other societies in Asia. There is a belief in Sri Lanka and in India a new deity "Avurudu Kumaraya" arrives at New Year. In some parts of our country they make altars with tender coconut palms for the deity at New Year. In some areas in the South a lamp is lit for the new deity. In some countries the worship of deity is performed during the harvesting time and the New Year is associated with the harvesting ceremonies.

“Whatever the origins New Year is not a Buddhist festival, though the Buddhists go to the temple at the Nonagathe time. Strictly speaking there is no place for auspicious times in the Buddhist doctrine. The major Buddhist festivals are Wesak, Poson and Esala. Besides Buddhist festivals are held on poya days based on Lunar observances. New year is a solar festival commencing with the entry of the Sun to the zodiac of Aries. New year also cannot be classified as a Hindu festival for it is not celebrated all over the Hindu world. It is a national festival of Tamils and some others in South India. The Andras, Kannadigas and Malayalis though Hindus do not observe it. Those Hindus in North India and the Himalayan region have their own dates for the New Year. According to Dr. P. Poolagasingham it is a misnomer to call Tamil New Year as Hindu New Year.

Sinhala and Tamil New Year Customs

W. T. A. Leslie Fernando wrote in The Island: New Year observances commence with the Sun entering the asterism of Aries. The rituals begin with the observance "Nonagathe" where people stop all work and go to the temple for religious rituals. The festivities begin with the lighting of hearth at the auspicious time. The whole family then clad in new clothes in the lucky color eat together the first meal also at the auspicious time. They next exchange gifts and are pardoned by elders for their lapses in the past. The celebrations take group form when the villagers get together to play the traditional games. The womenfolk participate in indoor games or play the rabana. Some play games of cards introduced by the Dutch. This festival atmosphere lasts for a number of days and during this time they also visit relatives and friends with kavum, kokos, and other sweetmeats and gifts. The festivities end with the anointing of the oil ceremony, where at the auspicious hour an elder annoints the young with oil invoking the blessings of Gods. There are also auspicious times set apart to go to work in the New Year and to watch the New Moon. [Source: W. T. A. Leslie Fernando, The Island, Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

Sinhala and Tamil New Year rituals begin with the cleaning of the house and lighting of an oil lamp. Women congregate to bash on the raban (drum) to warn others of the incipient change in the year. If you fail to hear this, a storm of firecrackers is bound to hammer the point home. Families indulge in a variety of rituals which are carefully determined by astrological calculations — from lighting the fire to making the kiri (milk rice) bath, to entering into the first business transaction and eating the first morsels.

Once these are done, the partying really begins as families mingle in the streets. Homes are thrown open and children are let out to play. The ubiquitous plantain is dished out alongside celebratory feasts of kaung (small oily cake) and kokis (light, crisp, deep-fried sweetmeat, originally from the Netherlands). House visitors are indulged with sweets and tea. On their departure both young and old have traditionally been given a gift of coins wrapped in betel leaf. Usually there is a silver coin and a copper coin. In rich families it has been customary to include an Indian silver rupee coin along with a copper cent. This was done to ensure property for the coin receiver in the coming year.

D.B. Kappagoda wrote in the Daily Mirror: The events associated with the celebrations are bathing during the old year, viewing the moon, Punniyakalaya or Nonagatha, lighting the hearth, preparing meals, partaking of meals, transactions, exchange of gifts, anointing with oil and herbal mixtures and setting out for work.Women play a prominent role in the celebrations. They prepare for the festival in advance by purchasing the required coconut oil, kitul honey and jaggery to make sweetmeats like kevum, kokis, aluva, asmi, and other provisions to prepare meals during the festive season. New clothes and other items meant to be given as presents are purchased from shops. [Source: D.B. Kappagoda, Daily Mirror, Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

There are some interesting poems describing how olinda keliya is played by women which convey their belief in the goddess Pattini. Young girls take to the swing. There are verses describing the joy experienced by them when the swing goes up and down. There is raban playing by elderly women who compete with one another when they play the rabana to their singing describing the flight of the parrot. Rana dela del is a game in the Vanni where women recite a line from a verse describing some aspects of Sinhala Avurudu celebrations. The day after observing the anointing ceremony the women gather to perform Kevummale nateema. This is performed to amuse themselves by singing and dancing.

There is also worship offered to Bahirawa known as Bahirawa pooja in which the ash collected from the hearth is collected into a winnowing fan (kulla). To do this three portions of food are placed on a banana leaf along with ash and taken to the corner of the land where they are placed. Later three oil lamps are lit to worship Bahirawa. It is an appeal to Bahirawa begging him for protection. There is an interesting dance called muthi gasilla in which women sing these verses and dance with others who perform with them. This is performed purely for amusement. Some interesting games played in the past are described in verses. They were recited while engaged in playing outdoor games. The famous out of these national games are olinda keliya, eluvan keliya, mevara sellama, raban upatha, buhu keliya, muthi gesilla, rena dela del, muthu keliya, onchili varam and mee sellama.

Astrology and Sinhala and Tamil New Year

Sinhala and Tamil New Year takes place when the sun moves from the Meena Rashiya (House of Pisces) to the Mesha Rashiya (House of Aries). Unlike the usual practice where the new year begins at midnight, the New Year in Sri Lanka begins at the time determined by the astrologers. Not only the beginning of the new year but the conclusion of the old year is also specified by the astrologers. And unlike the customary ending and beginning of new year, there is a period of a few hours in between the conclusion of the Old Year and the commencement of the New Year , which is called the nona gathe (neutral period). During this time one is expected to keep off from all types of work and engage solely in religious activities. [Source: Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

Most of the rituals are based on times calculated according to astrology. ‘Aluth Sahal Mangallaya’, ‘Esala Keliya’ and ‘Karthikeiya Mangalliya’ are essentially indigenous ceremonies based on the beliefs woven around agriculture. Rohana R. Wasala wrote in The Island:In terms of traditional astrological belief the sun is said to complete one circular movement across the twelve segments of the zodiac in the course of the year, taking a month to traverse each constellation. The arbitrary beginning of this circular solar progress is taken to be Aries (Mesha), which is conventionally represented by the zodiacal sign of ‘the ram’. Having travelled from Aries to Pisces the sun must pass from Pisces to Aries to begin a new year. The solar new year (known as the Shaka calendar) is reckoned from this transit (sankranti), which comes a week or two after the beginning of the new year according to the Sinhalese calendar. The Vesak Festival, which marks the dawn of the Buddhist new year, comes at least another month later. The Aluth Avurudda centers on the ‘transit’ of the sun from Pisces to Aries. It is remarkable for Sinhalese Buddhists to thus celebrate the beginning of the solar new year, rather than that of their own new year. So the Aluth Avurudda appears to be in homage of the sun god important for an agricultural people. [Source: Rohana R. Wasala, The Island, D.B. Kappagoda, Daily Mirror, Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

Aryadasa Ratnasinghe wrote in the Sunday Obervor: “The injunctions laid down under the Uttara Bharata Shastra, and to be observed during the 'Aluth Avurudda' 2004, are: (1) Looking at the moon for the ensuing year on March 22 as the lunar month, and on April 22 as the solar month, (2) Bathing to mark the previous year, on April 12, after anointing the head with 'Nanu' (medicinal herbal preparation), prepared from the leaves of the 'Divul' (Limonia acidissium, or Feronia elephantum) tree. The 'Aluth Avurudda' dawns on April 13, at 18.32 hrs. 3) The 'Punyakalaya' (the time set apart for religious observances) stands from 12.08 hrs. on the 13th to 00.56 hrs., on the 14th. Hence, during this period all work, including taking of meals, should be suspended before 12.08 hrs., and keep the time exclusively to go to temples for worship, which is the first phase of the 'Punyakalaya'. [Source: Aryadasa Ratnasinghe CDN, Sunday Observor,Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

The second phase begins at 06.32 hrs. on the 13th and lasts till 00.56 hrs on the 14th., and during this period all matters connected with commencement of work, transacting business and taking of meals have to be done. 4) Lighting the hearth to cook the first meal (Kiribath) has to be done on the 13th at 19.49 hrs, looking South and wearing a red dress. partaking of the meal has to be done at 21.47 hrs. also looking South. (Most housewives are not satisfied with this time as it interferes with dinner), (5) Anointing the head with 'Nanu' is an important injunction considered as essential to health.

It has to be done on the 15th at 10.57 hrs. looking North, and by placing 'Bo' leaves (Ficus religiosa) on the head, and 'Kohomba' leaves (Azadirachta indica), under the feet.

Bathing is done after anointing the head which is the highlight of the festival. Leaving home for work has to be done on the 19th at 06.59 hrs. heading in the northern direction, after partaking a meal of 'Kiribath' mixed with 'Undu' (Phaseolus radiatus).

Ayurveda Medicine and Sinhala and Tamil New Year

Dr. Upali Pilapitiya wrote "Sinhala and Hindu New Year custom and traditions are mainly based on Ayurveda system of Medicine which has been developed on the Principles of Hindu Philosophy. The New Year begins with the offerings to various gods. As a method of wading off evil spirits and misfortunes brought about by different planetary positions. By performing these rituals and pujas, mental tranquility, is achieved. Hope of success is implanted in the mind. [Source: Dr. Upali Pilapitiya, Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

Ayurveda mentions a category of diseases called Daiva Bala Pravritta. In this category there are some kind of diseases which are engendered by forces beyond human control. These are considered to be caused due to providential dispensation or acts of gods. According to traditional beliefs, some of the diseases included under this category are considered to be embodiments of curses, divine wrath or displeasure. Some of them are caused through mystic powers of charms and spells that are mentioned in Atharva Veda.

The nonekata is the transitional period in the planetary movement and considered to be inauspicious to start any propitious work. Therefore, this time is set apart for religious observances. Ayurveda envisages a method of treatment known as Daivavyapasharaya or spiritual therapy. This therapy involves the use of mantras or incantations such as Aushadhi or sacred herbs, Mani or precious gems, Mangala or propitiatory rites, including oblations, bali or offerings and homa or sacrifices, Niyama or vows, prayaschitta or cremonial pevitence, uparasa or fasts swastyayana or prostrations and pranipata — gamana or pilgrimages and so on. [Source: Dr. Upali Pilapitiya, Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

Ayurveda explains that transitional period at different seasonal variations changes an imbalances in the body humours or forces namely Vata, Pita, Kapa. Therefore it is advised to have light food or complete fasting (Langana) during such periods. So that minimal fluctuation in the three Dosha will take place. Therefore during nonekata it is the custom to be aloof from all normal activities and to confine only to religious observances.

Ayurveda New Year Medicines and Treatments

Aryadasa Ratnasinghe wrote in the Sunday Obervor: “ In the days of our kings, the Royal Physician was entrusted with the task of preparing the 'Nanu' conforming to the established standard. The ingredients used were: 'Nelum-dandu' (stalks of Nelumbium speciosum), 'Goda-manel-ala' (Yams of Crinum zeylanicum), Bbeli-mul' (root of Aegyl marmelos), 'Wenivelgeta' Coscinium fenestratus), 'Ee-tana' (Isachna kuntiana), 'Kalanduru-ala' (yams of Cyperus rotundus), 'Kumkumappu' (sweet-smelling flowers native to Kashmir in India), 'Sudu-handun' (Santalum album), 'Vishnukranti' (Evolvulus alsonoides), 'Gorochana' (sweet-smelling substance taken from the cow), 'Sassanda-mul (roots of Pandamus humilus), 'Iriveriya' (Plectranthus zeylanicus) and 'Sevendra-mul' (Vetiveriya zizanioidus). [Source: Aryadasa Ratnasinghe CDN, Sunday Observor,Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

“Having pounded these ingredients together in a mortar, the mixture is put into a new earthen pot and boiled to reduce the contents from 8 cups to 2 cups. The juice of 'divul' leaves and lime leaves are added to the preparation, before application. Sometimes, 'Pas-thel' (five kinds of oil) are also added to the mixture, or taken separately for the purpose of anointing the head. The oils are extracts of 'tala' (Sesamum indicum), 'mee' (Madhuca longifolia), 'aba' (Brassica juncea), 'Kohomba' and 'Endaru' (Ricinus communis), which have medicinal values.

“Traditionally, the anointing is done by an old person who is healthy. In most villages, the temple is the venue for applying the 'Nanu' before bathing, and usually done by an elderly priest, with blessings for health and longevity. Women do not do the anointing as it is considered an exclusive right of the male.

“A certain mysterious efficacy is attributed to the leaves used for anointing the head. They are selected in relation to the day of the week on which the injunction has to be performed, e.g. 'Imbul' on Sundays, 'Divul' on Mondays, 'Kolong' on Tuesdays, "Kohomba' on Wednesdays, 'Bo' on Thursdays, "Karanda' on Fridays and 'Nuga' on Saturdays. Accordingly, this New Year, 'Bo' leaves have to be placed on the head and 'Kohomba' leaves under the feet.”

Historical Origins of New Year Anointting

Aryadasa Ratnasinghe wrote in the Sunday Obervor: “Anointing the head with 'nanu' (herbal oil) is one of the injunctions ('nekath') laid down under the Uttara Bharata Shastra (North Indian School of Epistemology), to be observed during the New Year festival, and it is considered indispensable for health and longevity. Besides other injunctions to be observed to mark the New Year, our kings were particular to get their heads anointed with 'nanu' at the appropriate time laid down in the almanac. [Source: Aryadasa Ratnasinghe CDN, Sunday Observor,Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

Before the approach of the New Year the king's physicians and the Royal astrologer had certain functions to perform which were inevitable. The physicians had to superintend the preparation of a thousand pots of the herbal oil, making use of wild medicinal plants supposed to contain certain mysterious powers to maintain good health. They were kalanduru-ala, sevendra-mul, iriveriya, vishnukranti, asasanda, godamanel-ala, nelum-dandu, nasnaran-mul, eetana, venivelgeta, kohomba-kola, kumkumappu, and gorochana.

As the time approached the king sat on his throne and the event was announced to the public by ringing the temple bells and by the discharge of jingalls (large Indian swivel muskets) from the cannon of the city. At the auspicious time, young women of noble families, with lighted tapers in their hands, and a silver tray containing paddy and turmeric water, stood close to the king. As he turned his face towards the given direction, the women went close to the king and applied the 'nanu' on his head, exclaiming thrice "Increase the age of our king to five thousand years, increase it as long as the sun and moon lasts and as long as the heaven and earth exist." The ritual was then followed by the chiefs by kneeling down before the king in complete obedience. The event was marked by the saying: "Kalu kaputa sudu venathuru, Kikili bijuva pelavena thuru,, Gei molgaha dalu lana thuru, 120 ta 220 ayu boho veva." [“Until the crow turns white, until the hen's egg grows to a plant, until the mortar bears slender leaves, be thy age be increased from 120 to 220 years.}

At the time of partaking of meals, the king first having tasted a dish on his table, mixed with various kinds of food, called 'divya bhojana' gave a little to each chief participated in the ceremony. Later, they were all invited by the king to the palace to have a sumptuous meal in the night. Finally, the king received his chiefs according to their respective rank and file and the Maha Adikaram took the lead. Now they took their turn to greet the king.

Each chief prostrating before the king, exclaimed thrice: "May Your Majesty live as long as the sun and the moon and the heavens and earth exist." The presents received by the king were valued and deducted from the taxes due from each chief annually to the king's treasury. During the festive season, both the chiefs and the people were exempted from 'rajakariya' (state service).

Celebrating New Year in Sri Lanka

Recalling Sinhalese New Year in his youth, Rohana R. Wasala wrote in The Island: “The sighting of the new moon was the first of the Ayurudu rites. Then came ‘bathing for the old year’ as it was called, followed by the ‘nonagate’ period which being considered inauspicious for any form of work was entirely devoted to religious observances and play. Cooking and partaking of milk-rice, starting work for the new year, anointing oil on the head and leaving for work were the other practices. All these rites were performed at astrologically determined auspicious moments. Although belief in astrology and other occult sciences is contrary to the spirit of Buddhism, in the villages it was the Buddhist priests who prepared the medicinal oils in the temples and applied these on the heads of people while chanting ‘pirit’ so as to ensure health for the whole year. These Aluth Avurudu traditions touched every important aspect of life: health, economy, religion and recreation . [Source: Rohana R. Wasala, The Island, Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

Children and adults walked in gay abandon about the village dressed in their new clothes visiting friends and relatives amidst the cacophony of ’raban’ playing and the sound of firecrackers set off everywhere. The aroma of savoury dishes and the smell of sweetmeats arose from every household. Visitors were plied with all sorts of sweets. Amidst all this visiting, playing and merrymaking everybody was careful to be at home for the observance of the rites at the appointed times.

It never occurred to us (and to our parents, I am sure) to question the necessity or disbelieve the efficacy of these rites. The sun was a god; the shining thing in the sky was not him, though, it was only his chariot! We really sympathized with the uncertainty and anxiety he was supposed to undergo during the interregnum between the old year and the new, i.e. the period of ‘transit’ (sankranti). The Avurudu Kumaraya — the New Year Prince — was as real in our imagination as the sun god. That we didn’t see him in flesh and blood was in the nature of things, too.

But today the Aluth Avurudda means much less to us than it did in the past. Our response to the theme of the festival has lost much of its emotional content. Today those rites, auspicious times and astrological beliefs are nothing more than irrelevant superstitions. Most of those who still follow the Avurudu customs do so as a concession to tradition out of a sense of nostalgia. Our failure to participate in the joyous experience which the Aluth Avurudda was in our childhood is a very significant loss. The mystique charm and the sense of the numerous which informed the event have evaporated. This in large measure is due to our ineluctable sophistication. Not all is lost, nevertheless. The Sinhala Hindu New Year still remains a powerful symbol of renewal of hope for the future and reaffirmation of our bond with nature and our commitment to the time-honoured values of our forebears. It is truly a celebration of life.

Preparation for Sinhala Avurudu

Recalling the preparation for Sinhala Avurudu in his youth, Sybil Wettasinghe wrote: “ “Before making the sweetmeats, coconut oil had to be made. For this our immediate neighbours gathered together at Aththamma's center hall. The huge basin from under her massive bed was dragged out, washed thoroughly and cleaned. Then the women sat on the coconut scrapers around this huge basin, and scrapping coconut. A big heap of coconuts was cracked and the coconut water was the kid's delight who drank and drank the water till their bellies bloated out like balloons. Then they kept jumping up to hear the water gurgling in our tummies. Nobody stopped them. [Source: Sybil Wettasinghe, Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

“The highlight of the day was when the temporary hearth was put together in a corner of compound. The big cauldron from under Aththamma's bed was pulled out. Into this was poured the extracted coconut milk. And then each one took turns to ladle the boiling milk. They ladled till the sun turned westwards. After some time the oil appeared on the surface, which was gently skimmed and stored in a big jar.

“The whole village seemed to be getting ready as if for a great wedding feast. One of the other major preparations for the New Year was the washing of the house which was another great day for the kids. They didn't mop the floor with wet cloth like now-a-days. Instead whole bucketfuls of water were splashed on the entire floor.

“Usually on New Year's eve mother and Caroline had much to do. They cleaned and removed ash from the hearth. Astrologers prescribed a time to stop work for the old year, on New Year's eve. And until the dawn of the New Year it was Nonagathe time to devote to religious activities. During the Nonagathe no work should be done and the hearth should not be lit. Lighting the hearth for the New Year is done at an auspicious time.

New Year Bath in Sri Lanka

Sybil Wettasinghe wrote: “The first bath for the New Year had to be taken at an auspicious time as well. For this a special herbal oil was brought from the temple. An elderly man anointed this oil on the heads of other with blessings for long life. Then they took the first bath in the New Year, usually two days after the dawn of the New Year. [Source: Sybil Wettasinghe, Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

Dr. Upali Pilapitiya wrote: “The customary bathing for the passing year is equally important facet. Herbal bath gives physical purification. When one takes a herbal bath over the entire body, anointed with gingelly oil or mustard oil that provides a soothing effect for the body. Herbal baths are prescribed in Vedas too. [Source: Dr. Upali Pilapitiya, Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

“For this year, water mixed with the Juice of Bo leves is recommended. Body massage and herbal bath promotes blood circulation, and it is considered the best method of maintaining positive health. Herbal baths are prescribed as a method of treatment in many nervous disorders and diseases of the muscles and joints.

“Anointing of the head with Nanu (medicated shampoo) and oil is described in Ayurveda as a way of promoting health, specially massaging the scalp with oil and cleaning the head with medicated decoction known as Nanu. It promotes the growth of hair. It improves a sound sleep and balances the body humours. These rituals and New Year custom are healthy. Therefore they should be incorporated in our daily life for greater progress and prosperity. [Source: Dr. Upali Pilapitiya, Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

Family and Betel Nut Bonding During the Sri Lanka New Year

After the New Year meal the mother in a family has traditionally shown here respect to her husband by offering him a sheaf of betel leaves. This is followed by children offered betel to their father and mother. Elders in the village have also been offered betel in this way on New Year's day.

Dr. Upali Pilapitiya wrote: Another salient feature of the New Year is to respect the elders and to strengthen relationships with neighbours. Usually, visiting relations and friends and exchanging presents, greeting them with a sheaf of betel is the order of the day. Betel play a vital part in the New Year particularly in Asian culture. Betel is considered a sacred herb with many medicinal values. Chewing of betel along with cloves, cardamoms and arecanut after a meal is considered the best way to strengthen the gums. A chew of betel cleans the mouth, and wades off bad breath. [Source: Dr. Upali Pilapitiya, Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

“The juice of betel leaves promotes digestion, kills organisms which are harmful to the body. The value of betel is also appreciated in Buddhist literature. Building up confidence, love, friendship and hope among elders, relations and friends plays a great role in achieving mental, physical and social wellbeing. Arrogance, hatred, sorrow, pangs of jealousy, cruelty are all considered as mental illnesses. Exchanging sheaves of betel and paying respect to elders brings about a new feeling of freshness. The elders feel that they are accepted, wanted and venerated by their kith and kin. This warmth helps to a great deal to the elders in maintaining good health and vitality.”

Sinhala and Tamil New Year Foods

During the New Year holiday season people cook and eat “kiri bath” (milk rice). The first official act of the new year is the lighting of the hearth which is used to make the kiri bath. Other foods associated with the holiday include plantains, “kokis”(a Dutch sweetmeat) and “kaung” (an oily cake).

Godwin Witane wrote in The Island: During the New Year period every household prepared sweetmeats or rasa kevili for the occasion. They included kavun, kokis. athi rasa, aasmi, kalu dodol, Aluwa, mungedi and weli-talapa. Few days before the dawn of the New Year, my father selected two or three matured bunches of plantains from our garden. Having dug a pit in the garden he usually wrapped the bunches of plantains in biling leaves and fronds of keppitiya plant and after placing the bunches of plantains flat in the pit covered it with planks over which he piles up the dug up earth. Into this pit smoke was blown in twice a day both in the morning and evening. For this he devised a global gadjet made out of two coconut shells that have holes and in the shape of a husked coconut. Into this ball he stuffed coir fiber and shredded dry plantain leaves and placed it carefully at a top corner of the pit. When a piece of burning ember was introduced to the ball through the hole on top and blown into it with the mouth the packed coir and leaves caught fire forming a cloud of smoke that filled the pit completely. When smoke was seen leaking through the loose earth it was prevented by stamping more earth on these places. When this process is carried out twice a day, morning and evening for two days the plantain bunches get ripened and when taken out of the pit they are completely yellow. These ripe plantains along with the various sweets adorn every table in all Sinhalese houses. [Source: Godwin Witane, The Island, Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

Dr. Upali Pilapitiya wrote: “The food which is taken during Sinhala New Year has many nutritious values. Sweet meat such as Mung Kevum, Konda Kavum made of brown rice, flour, Unduvel made of undu are indigenous sweets. All they have many food and nutritious values. Taking meals at an auspicious time with all family members sitting together is a noble, and healthy custom. [Source: Dr. Upali Pilapitiya, Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

“This happy get together should be adapted at all meals, and not confined to the New Year table alone. Many indulge in unwanted arguments and talks while taking meals. The Avurudu custom, gives the signal to avoid such unhealthy manners. Happy state of mind is very necessary for the proper digestion of food. Ayurveda makes it clear that wholesome food taken at proper time in proper quantity will not digest properly if the person is in bad mental state, such as fear, sorrow or arrogance. Therefore happy state at meals is ulmost importance in attaining healthy digestion.

Food Preparation and Eating During Sinhala and Tamil New Year

Describing food preparation in her family during Sinhala and Tamil New Year, Sybil Wettasinghe wrote: “Aththamma had brought out her big rabana, The largest tambourine, propped up on three wooden legs. Before beating a tune with her fingers Aththamma heated the rabana over burning coals to make the tune clearer when playing on it. Mother and Caroline were in the kitchen with everything ready for the making of kiribath and waiting for the auspicious time to light the hearth. Washed rice was in the brand new pot. The hearth was made with dry wood and a small sheaf of dried coconut fronds. The box of matches was at hand. That moment, everybody in every household was waiting for the auspicious time to light the hearth to welcome the New Year. And then the temple bells pealed, the burst of fire crackers filled the air. From far and near came the rhythmic beat of the rabana playing. [Source: Sybil Wettasinghe, Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

“In our own kitchen the fire in the hearth began to crackle richly. I watched how the new pot with rice was slowly getting covered with soot on the hearth. Caroline cracked the coconut and began scraping it, to extract the milk to add to the rice when cooked to make kiribath — milk rice. A smile was appearing and disappearing on Caroline's face. Out in the yard Aththamma was beating a popular tune on her rabana When I went to her, she taught me to play a simple accompaniment to her beat. "Punchi batala getatumba kola Linda watakara bahina batala."

“Soon the smell of kiribath came swirling out of every kitchen in the neighbourhood and the spirit of a happy New Year filled the air. Our dining room became charmingly alive. A pure white cloth was laid on the table. On it was placed the small brass lamp polished for the occasion and new wicks and oil ready for lighting at the auspicious time, before partaking of the first meal of the New Year. Mother brought in the big tray of kiribath cut into diamond shapes, and placed it on the center of the table. The various types of sweetmeats were arranged around the tray of kiribath. There were kevum, asme, athirasa, kokis and aluwa and also a luscious comb of golden yellow bananas. One could eat the kiribath with either the red chilli sambol that was there or with jaggery.

“Just a little before the appointed time to partake of the first meal for the New Year, father lit the lamp and kindled a handful of joss sticks and placed them in a little jar on the window sill. The smoke carrying the smell of burning incense went curling around creating an aura of divine sanctity. Mother dished out platefuls of the meal for everyone and we waited for the auspicious time to eat. The first meal for the New Year had to be taken facing a certain direction prescribed by astrologers each year.

“Once again the temple bells pealed and then it was time to begin the meal. Mother handed father his plate of food and ours were given in turn. There was a most peculiar thing that intrigued me in this whole ceremony. Before we began to eat our food, each one of us had to pick out a bit of every item of food on our plates and drop into a piece of banana leaf. This was taken outside the house and placed on a high elevation away from cats and dogs.

“I asked my father for whom this food was meant to be. And he told me it was for the unseen ones, the spirits of the dead. I was unable to understand how the dead could turn into spirits and still lurk around. But all I saw was that the birds and squirrels too had a feast as well on New Year's day, which I thought was a wonderful thing.

Games and Pastimes Enjoyed During Sinhala and Tamil New Year

Aryadasa Ratnasinghe wrote in the Sunday Obervor: Among the national sports activities organised during the festive season are 'on chili-pedima', 'kalagedi-sellama', 'olinda-keliya', 'mewara-keliya', 'udekki-sellama', 'leekeli-sellama', 'korapol-gehima', 'meemesi-keliya', 'kalligesima', 'katti-penima', 'lanupora-allima', 'mallawa-pora', 'ali-pora', 'gon-pora', 'rilapeti-pedima', 'dadu-gesima', and many other games of interest to keep the festival a happy event.Old women love to play the 'rabana' (a single-sided drum about 3 feet in diameter), and 4 or 5 women can play at one time, and it is an indispensable item in every home to be made use of whenever necessary. [Source: Aryadasa Ratnasinghe CDN, Sunday Observor,Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

Godwin Witane wrote in The Island: “During Sinhala Avurudu time the whole village transformed itself into a grand festival. Both young and old were kindled with the enthusiasm of an enjoyable and happy atmosphere. [Source: Godwin Witane, The Island, Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

“The menfolk prepared swings. on the branches of overhanging trees for the enjoyment of young boys and girls. They sang swing songs while the swings swayed to and fro reaching great heights. Sura love wimane Suran padinne Nara love guvaney naran padinne Sura Saema Athhtho vaaran denne Budunne saranin apida padinne. Purawara meda bendi onchilla Durayana satiyata puduma novella Waeragena pirimin thawa pedapalla Surapura Deviyan rakinu siyalla

“Sinhalese womenfolk have excelled and figured in the alluring pastime known as onchilli pedima. The songs sung by these females have been handed down to us from our forefathers as also, carters’ songs, boatmens’ songs and other Siv Pada of a bygone era. The ancient ordinary villager was capable of expressing his innermost feelings and faith in the sweetest of poetry to be found in the Sinhalese language. Our Sinhalese merry makers revelled in singing these melodious songs which made the New Year celebrations seemingly lively. They were a living testimony to the peace and tranquility that existed among the village folk. But the present day damsels, boys and girls both from the villages and towns have more alluring pastimes than enjoying in a swing singing Siv Pada. Their rendervous are the numberless sangeetha sandharahanas or musical events where they gather in unpredictable numbers wherever they are held on day to day arrangements unrelated to any’ significant occasion appearing on the calendar.

“The kathru onchilla or great wheel was introduced by the foreigners when they held sway within this country. This wheel like structure was put into motion going round and round by a person who actually walked in step inside the wheel to turn it round anti clockwise. Usually, eight seats were hung from eight cardinal points on the wheel and when persons, usually young boys and girls sat on the hanging seats they maintained an upright position throughout the operation of the giant wheel. This was a rare attraction in the village and the construction of which required the expertise and skill of several people.

“The playing of raban during the festive season is a common feature both during day time and especially in the night accompanied by the singing of resounding Siv Pada and folk songs. Games such as panchi or kawadi were played for stakes by both males and females. The scoring by means of runners was done on a drawn up chart on a plank or on card board.

Playing of cards was a pastime exclusively of the menfolk. They either played a game of buruwa or asking and hitting and ajutha akin to Bridge. They choose to play these games either in the open air seated on mats or inside the house. This gambling was supposed to be exempted from the attention of the police as a concession during the festive days. Playing of cards was an important eventduring the New Year celebrations. While having a game of cards, I remember seeing my grand father entering his room for a hurried peg. He usually resumed his seat viping his mouth with his palm.

Kids and the Sinhala and Tamil New Year

Rohana R. Wasala wrote in The Island: “I have vivid memories of how the Aluth Ayurudu festivities were held in the remote villages of the Nuwara Eliya District in the late fifties and early sixties when we were young children. The Aurudda was an event we looked forward to for a whole year through interminable months of school and ups and downs of childish fortunes (such as exam success or failure, friendship or fighting among playmates). At this time of the year we were invariably aware of a general awakening in nature. It was the time when the paddy was harvested and the fields were left fallow for a few weeks, allowing us children to romp about and play ‘rounders’; it was the time when exotic birds with bright plumage like the golden oriole sang from flower-laden trees; it was the time when the humble dwellings of the peasants were cleaned and whitewashed, adding to the sunny brilliance of the surroundings. Unlike children today we had more time to play, because tuition and cramming was almost unknown then and nature had not been replaced by TV and computer in engaging the aesthetic sense of the young. The impression we got from observing the multitude of beauteous forms in the environment was that even nature joined us in our joy — a very positive sort of pathetic fallacy. [Source: Rohana R. Wasala, The Island, Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

Sybil Wettasinghe wrote: “ The elders in our village always had children in mind, in whatever they did. That was the reason why they started off by putting up the swing first. It was made of home made rope, strong and tightly twisted to ensure the safety of the young ones. From the time the swing went up on the mango tree, it was the start of the New Year celebrations for the kids who more or less lived on the swing. [Source: Sybil Wettasinghe, Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

Everyone went to the temple during Nonagathe time. We too joined our neighbours, all dressed in white, carrying flowers, joss sticks, coconut oil and wicks for the oil lamps. On returning home, mother spread mats under the mango tree, and we spent out time in joyous mood. We played indoor games like Panchi. Panchi is played with five small sea shells, a coconut shell and a chart. Players are divided into two groups. My father and I were always on one side, whilst mother and Caroline were on the opposite side. Half way through the game, father would whisper to me, ``we should let them win. If mother loses, she will be angry and getting angry on New Year's day is not very good.''

“Father gave each one of us a silver rupee coin blessing us with good health, happiness and prosperity. Many people came visiting my mother on New Years day, mainly to receive a silver coin from her as the first transaction of the New Year. They believed she was a generous lady. The people came with platefuls of kiribath and sweetmeats and all this fare was heaped on the string bed in our dining room which had a mat on it.

“The old and the young played together on New Year's day. Some played the cadju nut game on the gravel road. Some sat in groups on the verandahs playing panchi The menfolk indulged in playing draughts and card games. We kids had a rollicking time on the swing. The swing had a long plank, on which sat all the kids holding each other firmly. On either side stood two young women who swung forward by turns. As the swing moved to and fro, the women worked up the speed by pushing themselves forward in mid-air. Soon the swing went flying high to and fro, whilst the women sang long drawn swing songs.

Legend and Myths Associated with Sinhala Avurudu

Punyakante Wijenaike wrote: "The mythological conception of a Aluth Avuruddha' is that the Prince of Peace called Indradeva descends upon the earth to ensure peace and happiness. He comes in a white carriage wearing on his head a white floral crown seven cubits high. He first dips, like a returning space capsule plunges, breaking earth's gravity, into a kiri' or sea of milk. "It was incredible. The moon, like the sun, had been, up to that moment, mysterious, sacred and elusive, smiling down on earth through centuries, keeping us in awe. As children we learnt to trace the outline of a hare on it during Poya. We were told that Handa Hamy, peeped down on us children and often provided us with milk and honey. Lovers kissed under and poets wrote — about the moon. She hung, like the Mona Lisa, above us." [Source: Punyakante Wijenaike]

Aryadasa Ratnasinghe wrote in the Sunday Obervor: This peace mission is expected to promote harmony and goodwill and vanquish all fears faced by mankind. So, people who believe in the mythical conception of down-coming of Indradeva, celebrate the festival of the New Year, conforming to certain injunctions laid down according to the Uttara Bharat Shastra (north-Indian School of Thought), anticipating health, wealth and prosperity in the New year. [Source: Aryadasa Ratnasinghe CDN, Sunday Observor,Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

At that time, the King of Sri Lanka was Valagambahu alias Vattagamani Abhaya (104-77 B.C.). When the Saka Era began in 78 B.C., Sri Lanka was visited by a great famine known as 'Beminitiya-saya', which had its origin in India. In Sri Lanka, it lasted for three years, claiming a heavy death toll due to scarcity of good and water. Although the Saka Era is not in much vogue, the Indian Government began to use it officially, since 1957, alongside with the Christian Era. Although Saka Era is not adopted in Sri Lanka as a chronological system of calendar calculation, it is still being used for purposes of astrological calculations connected with events in the public or private life of the community. Though heavily overlaid by myth and legend and also superstition, the astrological phenomena have given the sun and the moon, a divinely regulated existence by calling the sun 'Soorya Divyaraja' and the moon 'Chandra Divyaraja'.

Socio-Anthropological Look at Sinhala Avurudu

"To many of us, the Sinhala and Tamil New Year is an occasion on which we attempt to repeat certain rituals and ceremonies of the past, based on a lifestyle that had agriculture (i.e. paddy cultivation) as its main vocation. Some of us, I mean, a significant portion of our people fail to see any relevance of such New Year rituals, customs and ceremonies to modern life. [Source: Prof. Nandasena Ratnapala, Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

But on closer inspection, with a knowledge culled from our sociology and anthropology of the past, we observe in these practices a definite social relevance and a meaning. Such a relevance and meaning could be underestood only in the total context of all such rituals, customs and ceremonies. An understanding of that nature perhaps would assit us to develop new insights and gain from the practice of New Year customs etc, and help in building the nation in a positive way.

“The value of paying respect to elders is found underlying all phases of New Year celebrations. It is one of the vital reasons that motivates our young people not to forget their parents in their old age. If we understand social-cultural occasions such as the New Year with their emphasis on such values, it would be an eye-opener for all other ethnic groups (Muslims, Burghers etc,) and religious to make the best out of it.

“Of values associated with the Sinhala Tamil New Year” are “gratitude and paying respect to elders. Cleanliness (i.e purity of body and mind) is another such value. The ritual baths at the end of the passing year and the onset of the New Year lay emphasis on washing the head with lime and such other medicinal herbs, weraing clean clothes etc. These values, the elders see, are ingrained in young children during the New Year. The New Year is thus not an occasion only of celebrations but also of positive socialization.

“The importance attached to food cannot be forgotten. It should be shared by everyone. No one who comes to the house is allowed to depart without a meal. Even animals are fed, as they also considered a part of the family. The food often consists of milk, milk-rice and other grains and fruits. The use of such items, I believe, are dictated by reasons of health. The ritualistic offerings made to Hindu gods and the Buddha consists of such items only. Could it be that the insight into our individual and community health prompted our ancestors to choose such items of food alsofor the New Year?

“The leadership pattern in the village is often articulated during the time of the New Year. The religious leader (i.e. the Buddhist monk or the pusari), the social leader (i.e. the physician or teacher), and. Also the economic leader (i.e. the affluent landed or management strata), all have a duty to perform which they do with great dedication and pleasure. The mutual interaction of the community awakens itself from a long, incentive slumber and adds color to the rural village life. Even those who do not visit the village temple or the god's shrine do so on this occasion. With social change, interior patterns of behaviour have come to March the usefulness of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. One such pattern is the inordinate use of alchol. Sometime ago, if one were to partake of alcohol, he could not take part in New Year activities. The wing dedicated to Goddess Pattini would never tolerate a drunken individual who mounts it. It is unfortunate to observe how today such positive cultural values are undermined, giving rise to verbal and physical disorganisation among people.”

“Even the solutions to conflicts is built-in to the structure of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations. The strengthening of family units takes place in the form of eating together at home according to a set plan created by auspicious times and fortified by rituals which are looked at with respect. The father and mother lead, and the children follow. They exchange gifts, paying attention to seniority, and these activities release a fund of goodwill and thus strengthen the foundation of family life. In the community, social visits are made, and usually a plate of oil cakes, milk rice and plantains are sent from one house to the other. Each one reciprocates by continuing the chain of mutual exchange. Even those who for some reason or other have developed ill-feeling, exchange such food. I have never come across any family refusing such a plate of New Year food sent to them in the village. The only instance that I experienced it in the city was in a so-called educated family who blatantly refused such a gift from another family (a neighbour) who wanted to put an end to the misunderstanding between them that arose over a simple act of misinformation.

Tamil New Year

The Tamil New Year is widely celebrated in mid April in Tamil areas of southern India as well as Sri Lanka. Northern Indian festival like Holi and Dussehra are not that big in Tamil Nadu in southern India.. Diwali, the festival of lights, is widely celebrated. Held around the time the monsoons arrive, Tamils New Year is viewed as a time to wear new clothes and is considered the beginning of summer. The first thing that a person sees in the morning is supposed to influence one for the rest of the year. The Tamil New Year in 1996 was named ``Thathu'' in the Almanac. Its beginning (“Varushapirappu'' ) was at 2.25pm on April 13. The “Vishu Punya Kalam'', auspicious period, was from 10.25am to 6.25pm on the same day.

Nirmala Ragunathan wrote: “ Homes are cleaned and got ready for the event on previous day. On the day, during the auspicious time Maruthu Neer'' — clean water boiled with various herbs, selected flowers and leaves, milk, saffron and other ingredients is made by the priests in temples. Maruthu Neer is applied on the heads of all family members whilst the placing Punku'' leaves on head and Fig leaves under the feet and bathe. Then new clothes are recommended according to the colors mentioned in the almanac to wear. This year's colors are shades of black or ash. [Source: Nirmala Ragunathan, Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

“Giving thanks to the Sun God is observed by making Pongal''. A sweet rice made if possible with new raw red rice, jaggery, cashew nuts ghee and plums. The area in front of the house is cleaned and sprinkled with saffron water, and cowdung. A decorative design Kolam'' is put with raw white rice flour. The hearth is made a little distance away facing the East, and a new pot is used to cook the Pongal''. Lamps are lit by the housewife, and the head of the household will arrange the Mangala Kumbam''. A pot with five mango leaves and a coconut, joss sticks are lit, a tray of flowers, betel leaves, arecanuts, comb of bananas and the sweet rice are offered to the Sun God and Lord Ganesh to compete the pooja. A coconut is broken by the head of the household, and incense is shown.

“In earlier times, people made a sambol ``Pachchadi'' with the flowers of Margosa, the sour mango, and the sweet jaggery. Sweet rice was eaten together with this sambol. The sambol was made to remind people of the fact that life has sorrows, troubles and happiness — a mixture of circumstances in life that one faces in the year ahead cannot be overlooked. This practice is hardly in use today.

“The elders in the family bless the children, who worship them and seek their blessings and good wishes. A visit to the temple is a must when New Year dawns. The Hindus always begin by worshipping and offering poojas to Lord Wina Vinayaga to have his blessing in the coming year for prosperity. The priests bless them too. Customarily alms should be offered to the poor.

“During the auspicious time, the sweet rice is partaken by the family. Later the head of the family gives money, betel leaves, paddy and flowers — Kai Vishesham'' to the family members and wishes them good luck. The head of the family performs, Er Mangalam'' — during this time. This ploughing ceremony — being an agrarian community, is the traditional act on a new year day. However, today people observe this according to their occupations. A teacher would start a lesson, a trader starts a new account, a craftsman starts his craft and so on.

“Visiting relatives and entertaining relatives and friends are also important duties of the New Year celebrations. As a Hindu housewife I shall observe the rituals laid down by my ancestors in todays context to the best of my ability. In this ``Thathu'' Hindu New Year, when I offer poojas to the Sun God and pray to Lord Vigneshwar, I will pray most sincerely and ardently to ask his blessings for Mother Lanka and all her children to live happily in peace, harmony, understanding and prosperity. "We Hindus try to celebrate the new year by observing the procedures and rituals practised by our ancestors over the years.

Sinhalese and Tamils and the Celebration of New Year

New Year is an important national holiday for both Sinhalese Buddhist and the Tamil Hindu Sri Lankans. The holiday is unique in the way the two cultures celebrate it together and at the same time. It would be sort of like Christians and Jews celebrating January 1st together. Sinhalese make up about 75 percent of the population of Sri Lanka and Tamils, about 16 percent. The two groups fought against each other in bitter civil war that lasted from 1983 to 2009 and left around 100,000 dead and Tamils claim they are still discriminated against today but the two groups generally hide or leave behind their ill feelings and enjoy the holiday together.

Rohana R. Wasala wrote in The Island: The Bak festive season centers around a national cultural event which is unique in a number of ways. The Sinhala Hindu New Year is probably the only major traditional festival that is commonly observed by the largest number of Sinhalese and Tamils in the country. Its non-ethnic non-religious character is another distinctive feature. This festival cannot be described as ethnic because it is celebrated by both the Sinhalese and the Tamils, yet not by all of them: only Sinhalese Buddhists and Tamil Hindus participate in it, the Christians in both communities having nothing to do with it. On the other hand it is a non-religious celebration in that not all Buddhists nor all Hindus in the world take part in it, only the Sinhalese Buddhists and Tamil Hindus do. Yet another fact that adds to its secular character is that the festival focuses on an event which has no connection with religion or race at all. [Source: Rohana R. Wasala, The Island, Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

Prof. Nandasena Ratnapala wrote: The start of the New Year ceremonies is made by looking at the so-called old moon and engaging in a ritual bath on behalf of the passing year. Buddhism turned this act to an act of gratitude for the past year. To Hinduism it was one of establishing purity — specially bodily purity, gradually making way to spiritual purity. [Source: Prof. Nandasena Ratnapala, Virtual Library Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com ]

“The break with the past by doing away with everything associated with it might have been a practice, we, as primitive people had in the past. In the sixties, I observed, how, when a death had occurred the Veddas [the original forest people of Sri Lanka]completely demolished their huts and constructed a new one. In the past, they left the old cave and occupied a new cave; thus starting a new life, breaking from the past.

“The New Year for the Buddhists, and maybe according to Hindu practice, provided an important break with the past. It was a break undeertaken with two important principles in mind. On the one hand, you break away from the past, but do that with gratitude. This gratitude was not found in primitive times. The awe the primitive people had for natural objects (e.g. the sun, moon etc,) prompted them to worship such objects, and the Hindus gazed at the moon and bade `adieu' to the past year, perhaps with some nostalgia, but always with gratitude.

“Secondly, they did this with a firm resolve to do better in the New Year. The prayers of the Hindus to gods and the transfer of merit to gods by the Buddhists were believed to a prosperous harvest and a successful New Year. This resolve was very important to both cultures — Sinhala and Tamil. One could observe it on a number of occasions associated with the New Year; particularly in the astrological beliefs which gave life to certain rituals.

“The gazing at the old moon and ritual bathing for the passing year were undertaken at auspicious times. Even the preparation of the hearth, lighting of the hearth, preparation of food; particularly milk rice, the partaking of meals, engaging in the ritualistic bath for the incoming year, and gazing upon the New Year moon as well as the start of economic life in the New Year — all had specific auspicious times set for them. Buddhism, although it does not believe in good and bad times, saw in it a sociological truth. A community of people get disciplined by working to time. An auspicious time once set, people believe that it is bad to work outside it. The strength of the beliefs lays the foundation for a trait of positive behaviour; working according to a time-table. Long before Western management specialists talked of time management, the Sinhala and Tamil culture had developed an intricate measure to manage time through a framework of auspicious and bad times. This came into their culture through astrology.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Lonely Planet Guides, Library of Congress, Sri Lanka Tourism (srilanka.travel), Government of Sri Lanka (www.gov.lk), The Guardian, National Geographic, Smithsonian magazine, The New Yorker, Time, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Wikipedia and various books, websites and other publications.

Last updated February 2022

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Sinhala and Tamil New Year

• Explore Sri Lanka

Many countries in the world celebrate the new year in 1st of January. Yet there are several calendars around the world that celebrates different days to welcome New Year. In Sri Lanka, new year celebrations start on 13th of April and end in 14th of the month. Sinhala and Tamil New Year. The biggest celebration in Sri Lanka that features a load of rituals and customs is one of the must things to experience in your holiday on the island. Based on the sun’s movement from the Meena Rashiya (House of Pieces) to the Mesha Rashiya (House of Aries) Sri Lankan welcomes the new year in April with a lot of firecrackers, fireworks and gourmet of traditional sweets…

Also known as the sun festival, the Sinhala and Tamil new year is a ritual performed to honour the God of Sun for hundreds and hundreds of years now.

Comes with such a long history the festival is the best season to experience Sri Lanka’s core traditions and rituals and to enjoy fun activities and traditional games at the same time that you cannot experience anywhere else.

Sinhala and Tamil New Year Rituals The unique rituals and the traditions are what make Sinhala and Tamil new year special and memorable. Neutral period (Nonagathe) The new year rituals start in 13th with a ritual called neutral period or Nonagathe. During this time people keep off from all the work and do nothing but engage in religious activities to get the blessing of their religion to prepare for the new year.

Sinhala & Tamil New Year Rituals 

Lighting the hearth (Lipa gini melaweema)

Once the dawn of the new year comes the first ritual of Sri Lankans is the lighting the hearth of the house to prepare milk rice a must have a traditional dish on the new year feast that symbolises prosperity.

First meal at the Avurudu table (Ahara anubawaya)

Food plays a major role in new year celebrations in Sri Lanka. A huge table with Kiribath, bananas, sweets like kavum, kokis, thalaguli, aggala, aasmi, aluwa and many other traditional sweets become the centrepiece of any house. Every family in Sri Lanka enjoys the feast at an auspicious time after lighting an oil lamp. Starting work and exchanging money (Weda alleema saha ganu denu kireema) Once the family finishes the new year meal people do some work to symbolise starting to work in the new year. This ritual is called weda ellima. Next people perform transactions among family members and other respected parties and even with the well to thank for the clear water it had provided you during the last year. Anointing oil (Hisa thel gaama) Here a series of oils are anointed on peoples’ heads young and old to bless with health and healing.

All these rituals are performed during an auspicious time. Meaning the entire country cooks, eats and engages in work at the sometime. The Tamils also celebrate the New Year that commonly known as ‘Puththandu’. Their new year also has traditions and rituals practised over the years which are slightly different to those of the Sinhalese.

Sinhala and Tamil New Year Sweets

You cannot speak about Sinhala and Tamil new year without having to talk about food. Which is why tasting new year sweets is a must thing to do during your April holiday in Sri Lanka. Below are some of the sweets you should try during the new year season. Konda Kewum- Made with coconut trickle and rice Konda Keum is a deep fried fluffy cake. Kokis A deep-fried, crispy sweet made from rice flour and coconut milk Asmi A crunchy traditional sweet topped with a traditional caramel syrup Mon kewum -A diamond-shaped sweet that comes with a crunchy crust with a sweet paste of sweetened green grams inside.

Avurudu Music and games Sinhala and Tamil new year is a season it’s all about family-focused celebrations. During this season people work in cities return to their hometown or village and celebrates the new year with their extended family. Fun games and activities also play an important part in new year celebrations.

Playing the Rabana Rabana is a large drum people sit around and play during happy occasions. This is mainly played by elderly females and sometimes involves dancing as well.

Traditional board games Olinda Keliya and Pancha Demima are two board games mostly Sri Lankan ladies play during this season which involves two or more players. All the items used in such games are natural. For an example, boards of the games are made of wood and use plant seeds and seashells to play.

New year festival games During this season, the whole village gets together and organize events that include many traditional games to celebrate the season and children and elders alike enjoy participating in such events. Some of the new year games played in new year events are Placing the eye on the elephant- (Aliyata asa thabeema) Eating buns (Banis kema) Pillow-fight – (Kotta Pora) Tug-o-War-(Kamba Adeema) Breaking the pots – (Kanamutti bindeema) Climbing the greasy pole – (Lissana gaha nageema)

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Sinhalese and Tamil traditions differ, but the joint celebration of the New Year unites these two prominent communities. Here is my experience of the New Year, and what it means for the Sinhalese community and our island. The lead up to the main day, which falls on April 14, begins with the distinctive bird call of the Asian Koel that sing during their breeding season in March. After hearing this indicator, my family start to shop for ingredients for the feast on the 14 th and select a few gifts for family members and relatives. We then make time to speak to or visit our closest relatives in the weeks that follow, and share tasks at home to get our house looking its best for the New Year. If you are somewhat close to a village, you will witness some hilarious New Year’s games. One game requires you to balance a lime on a spoon and the fastest to cross the finish line wins, similar to the ‘egg and spoon race’ practiced by children in England. Another favourite is climbing a heavily-greased 80ft pole and trying to grab the flag at the top. The bravest participants balance themselves on a horizontally-placed coconut tree trunk and wrestle an opponent with a pillow: the one who falls from the tree trunk loses. Kids also love to do sack races where they have to get their legs inside a rice bag and hop their way to the finish line. These traditional sporting events bring an entire village together to share a hearty laugh. Traditions begin on the last day of the ‘old year’, April 13. The first tradition is to apply herbal oil on your hair before taking an outdoor shower – this is to purify yourself for the upcoming year. The traditions that follow have specific auspicious timings that are usually followed strictly. The first is a 12-hour time period known as the ‘neutral time’, during which you are supposed to follow religious activities rather than material pursuits. Religion is an important aspect of the Sinhalese culture, and most Buddhists visit their local temple during this time. The next is preparation of food, it is also customary at this time to boil a pot of milk and let it overflow, to signify prosperity in the coming year. The main tradition is the meal. Usually the table is laid out with the brass oil lamp, milk rice and a number of accompanying traditional sweets. Before dining, there is an exchange of money, a practice of giving and receiving that I sometimes looked forward to more than the food when I was a kid. We then sit down at the table and the eldest member of the group will feed you a morsel of food. Afterwards, when we are all ravenous, we dig into the long-awaited feast and share memories of previous New Year celebrations. After a couple of hours, it is then customary to visit your neighbours with the food you have prepared. This tradition signifies sharing amongst your community and it is a great time to catch up with friends. Usually over the next couple of days, we make time to visit our closest relatives.  The New Year is an event that brings families and communities together. We recommend participating in or witnessing some of these traditions if you’re traveling in Sri Lanka during the month of April. Dilanke Panagoda Head of Business Development - Pepper Life                                                                How to make this experience a part of your itinerary? Our vision for our blog is to build an invaluable resource for independent inquisitive travelers wanting to travel to Sri Lanka in a way that goes beyond the conventional and takes people further and deeper both physically and emotionally. It’s about having a fuller, richer, more meaningful trip. We also want to be a practical resource. Every article is ‘actionable’, you are able to make it part of your itinerary in some way. For tips on how to make any of these tips part of your journey send us an   enquiry Was this blog helpful? Avurudu Sri Lanka New Year Sri Lanka uses its own colander which is based on the sight of moon. The Sinhalese & Tamil New Year is called Aluth Avurudda, it is the begining of the new year in Sri Lanka. This is the major holiday season for the country although 2 days are officially announced as holidays but country some what shuts down for about 5 days. The Sinhala New Year basically coincides with the years and months of many traditional calendars of South and Southeast Asia. The same dates of the new year are celebrated in Tamil Nadu India, Thailand, Bengali New Year, Cambodian New Year, Lao New Year,Thingyan, in Myanmar and Oriya New Year festival in India. According to Sinhalese astrology, New Year begins when the sun moves from Meena Rashiya (the house of Aries) to Mesha Rashiya. It also marks the end of the harvest and spring. The natural calendar - Basis of Sinhala year The Sinhala year is adapted from Pali and Sanskirat calendar that is purely based on agriculture and religious festivals and weathers. Although in urban areas this calander has no meaning villages still refer to its months in their usual confersation for example wheat is harvested in Citta or Chaita. Following is the full calendar month names with Sinhala Pali & Sanskirat Sinhala Sanskrit Pali Number of days Aprox period Bak Caitra Citta 29 March�April Vesak Vaisākha Visakha 30 April�May Poson Jyaiṣṭha Jeṭṭha 29 [30] May�June �sala Āṣāḍha Āsāḷha 30 June�July Nikini Śrāvaṇa Sāvaṇa 29 July�August Binara Bhādrapada Poṭṭhapāda 30 August�September Wap Āśvina Assayuja 29 September�October Il Kārttika Kattikā 30 October�November Undhuvap Mārgaśirṣa Māgasira 29 November�December Dhuruthu Pauṣa Phussa 30 December�January Navam Māgha Māgha 29 January�February M�dhin Phālguna Phagguṇa 30 February�March Traditions and customs Historically Sinhala Aluth Avurudda was celebrated in the Kandyan Kingdom as a national festival under the patronage of the ancient kings. The day of Avurudu was fixed in keeping with the rituals. The astrologers used to worked out Nekath (auspicious times) to perform the traditional rituals for good luck, prosperity and happiness for the people and kingdom. The morning of Avurudda brings about social customs and good behaviour of the Sinhala people. In past people being farmers, used to complete their major harvest "Maha" and the Avurudu was the time to give thanks. The customs and rituals portray the beliefs and thinking of the people whose life is centred around agriculture. Rituals connected with Aluth Avurudda commence with bathing on the last day of the old year (Parana Avurudda) and viewing the moon on the same night. In the village temple, the pealing of the bell accompanied with the beating of drums (Hewisi) make the people aware of the times to perform different rituals. Children offer betel to parents to show gratitude AND PARENTS PRAY AND GIVE BLESSINGS People visit the temple during the time of "Sanskranthi" the transitional believed to be non auspicious times (Nekath) for any other thing. It is also called "Nonagathe" since its time to pray and get blessings from the monks and god it is also called "Punniya Kale" People put on new clothes (Avurudu Kumaraya) to signify that dawn of the New Year. The begining of the year is seen by women as auspicious to commence their work at their homes. They start the work by facing to the specific direction light the stove/hearth to begin the preparation of traditional Kiribath. Before this they keep milk in a new terracota pot to boil so as that it spills over from all sides of the pot this symbolizes prosperity. They cook along with a curry called "Hath Maluwa" which has has seven different flavours. People also make several other sweat foods during this festive season. During the days of the Kandyan Kingdom, the anointing of oils and Nanu (Herbal mixture) was done before taking the ceremonial bath. This was a feature during the new year, showing the patronage of the Kings. It was their special interest taken by them to look after the health of the people. The anointing ceremony was planned as a religious ceremony by the royal Nekath Mohottala, who would directly supervise it in accordance with his instructions. The royal physician prepares the oils as well as Nanu (herbal mixture) for applying on the head before taking a bath in the new year. The applying of Nanu is done only on Wednesday because it is on that day "Nanumuraya" is performed at Sri Dalada Maligawa and also at four devales in Kandy. Nanumuraya is meant for bathing the deities in the far off devales. This is performed in the form of a symbolic manner to bathe the four guardian deities of Lanka. The preparation of oils and the herbal mixture are done by extracting the juices from herbal leaves, flowers and fruits (seeds). The oils and juices are poured into 1000 small clay pots and then taken on the day before the New Year to Nath Devale Hewisi Maduwa. The officials from Sri Dalada Maligawa, three other devales, outstation devales, Raja Maha Viharas, and 65 royal listed places assemble at Natha Devala. The Kariyakorala of Sri Dalada Maligawa then distributes the oils and Nanu among those gathered who in turn take them in procession to their respective places of worship. These preparations are distributed among the people who use them on the day of the application of oil and Nanu anointing before bathing. This practice continues to this day. The reason for the selection of Natha Devala was because of the belief that God Natha had curative power and hence Natha Devala was selected as the venue for the distribution of oils and Nanu. Sinhala Aluth Avurudda cannot be classified as a religious festival. However customs and rituals associated with Aluth Avurudda have been fashioned according to Buddhist beliefs. 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Please contact us for permission to reproduce sunglasses Bay Spot seen quite like south Visits from boat stand-up boarding never galle 10 Things to Know About the Sinhalese and Tamil New Year The Sinhalese and Tamil New Year colloquially referred to as the Sinhala and Tamil Aluth Avurudu or Puthandu, is a highly festive time in Sri Lanka and is one of the most anticipated festivals in Sri Lanka. Here are 10 things to know about the Sinhala and Tamil New Year; 1. What is the New Year? The festival is celebrated when the sun moves from Pisces to Aries, marking the end of the harvesting season. It is celebrated with a series of traditions, food, and fun games that take place during the day and involve the entire community. 2. When is the New Year celebrated? The new year rituals start in 13th with a ritual called neutral period or Nonagathe. During this time people keep off from all the work and do nothing but engage in religious activities to get the blessing of their religion to prepare for the new year.The dawning of the new year is celebrated on the 14th of April each year! 3. The transition time The Avurudu traditions begin on the 13th of April with the neutral time (or punya kaalaya) which is the time between the ending of the Old Year and the dawning of the New Year. This time is used to observe and perform religious ceremonies. People are also encouraged to refrain from their day-to-day activities and seek blessings from their priests/monks. What is most special about the new year traditions are that they are performed during an auspicious time. Therefore, the entire country cooks, eats and engages in work at the sometime. 4. How is the dawning of the New Year celebrated? The dawning of the New Year is traditionally celebrated with the lighting of the hearth and traditionally boiling milk using a brand-new clay pot as a symbol of prosperity. The overflowing of the boiling milk is considered to bring good luck for the entire family. Thereafter,the traditional milk rice and an array of sweetmeats are prepared and enjoyed by family and distributed among neighbours symbolizing unity amongst all with no boundaries. 5. What are the sweetmeats for Avurudu? The Avurudu table overflows with various sweet meats and foods specially made for the festival. Some of these food items include Konda kavum- a deep fried fluffy cake, Kokis- a deep-fried, crispy sweet made from rice flour and coconut milk, Aasmi- crunchy traditional sweet topped with a traditional caramel syrup, Mung Kavum- A diamond-shaped sweet that comes with a crunchy crust with a sweet paste of sweetened green grams inside and so much more! We at Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts always ensure our guests have a taste of all these sweetmeats and feel the spirit of the new year whilst they’re at our hotels. 6. What are the Avurudu Games? Avurudu games are also a treat during this time of the year. Some of these Avurudu games include placing the eye on the elephant- (Aliyata asa thabeema), Eating buns the fastest (Banis kema), Pillow-fight – (Kotta Pora), Tug-o-War(Kamba Adeema), Breaking the pots – (Kanamutti bindeema), Climbing the greasy pole – (Lissana gaha nageema), and so on! 7. Anointing with Oil Anointing heads with oil is another ritual that is not missed by Sri Lankans. Families make a concoction with herbs and various oils. The oldest family member is the one who anoints the herbal oil on the heads of the others. This anointment is done at village temples as well, wherevillagers gather to have themselves anointed by the head priest of the temple. 8. Visiting Neighbours After the basic rituals are over, people begin to visit immediate relatives living close by and they also exchange plates full of sweet meats with friends and neighbors. It is customary to take betel leaves to worship the elders. Most people visit their hometowns and close relations even if they live far away from them! 9. Auspicious time to leave for work Since most people make their way to their hometowns to celebrate the New Year with their family, leaving to work is also governed by an auspicious time. Usually most people leave for work at a selected auspicious time which is said to guarantee success and prosperity at their places of work. 10. Avurudu at Cinnamon The spirit of avuruduis usually rampant at all Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts properties! The Cinnamon Grand Colombo and Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo , especially, are beaming with festivities during the New Year. Avurudu games, food and fun were amply available for all who wanted to enjoy! 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Required fields are marked * You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong> August 1987 September 1987 October 1987 November 1987 December 1987 January 1988 February 1988 August 1988 September 1988 October 1988 November 1988 December 1988 January – March 1989 August 1989 January 2010 February 2010 August 2010 September 2010 October 2010 November 2010 December 2010 January 2011 February 2011 August 2011 September 2011 October 2011 November 2011 December 2011 January 2012 February 2012 August 2012 September 2012 October 2012 November 2012 December 2012 January 2013 February 2013 August 2013 September 2013 October 2013 November 2013 December 2013 January 2014 February 2014 August 2014 September 2014 October 2014 November 2014 December 2014 January 2015 February 2015 August 2015 September 2015 October 2015 November 2015 December 2015 January 2016 February 2016 August 2016 September 2016 October 2016 November 2016 December 2016 January 2017 February 2017 August 2017 September 2017 October 2017 November 2017 December 2017 January 2018 February 2018 August 2018 November 2018 December 2018 January 2019 February 2019 August 2019 September 2019 October 2019 November 2019 December 2019 January 2020 February 2020 September 2020 October 2020 November 2020 December 2020 January 2021 February 2021 August 2021 September 2021 October 2021 November 2021 December 2021 January 2022 February 2022 August 2022 September 2022 October 2022 November 2022 December 2022 January 2023 February 2023 August 2023 September 2023 October 2023 November 2023 December 2023 January 2024 February 2024 FOR DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION The Sinhala New Year And Customs As a national festival, it is a unique celebration, as Sinhala Buddhists in Sri Lanka and other countries worldwide celebrate it as a festival and ritual, according to the ‘Neketh’ or auspicious times. The other important thing about this festival is the time it is celebrated.  According to the lunar calendar, it falls in the month of ‘Bak’ that’s April, based on the sun’s movement. The name of bak is derived from the Sanskrit word Bhagya, which means fortune.  Moreover, it signifies the reaping of the First Harvest in the year by the farming communities in villages. Accordingly, these customs and rituals portray the beliefs and thoughts of the village people.  Although they associate this festival with astrology concerning auspicious times, they never forget to fulfill Buddhist religious rituals. The other unique thing is that they inaugurate it with their family, relatives, and neighbors. On the other hand, the country’s ruling party gloriously celebrates it as a state festival.  When the Sinhala Avurudu season reaches, many signs usher in it, fresh leaves growing on trees and flowers blooming on trees, especially ‘Erabadu Mal’ can be seen, and plenty of fruits like mangoes, rambutans, avocados, and jack fruits. Besides that, a special guest’s message of ‘the Avurudu Enawa, the New Year is coming. So, he is non-other than the KOWULA or KOHA, a special bird like the crow, who appears only during this festival season. Unlike in the town area, village folks ripen plantains and make sweetmeats: Kewum, Kokis, Athirasa, Aggala, Asmi, and Aluva. Except for pre-preparation, they make special dressings for the festival by themselves, following the astrology and giving a new look to their old house by the village housewives cleaning and decorating their homes. The town folks, unlike the villagers, have everything prepared and packed in markets. But what they cannot buy like village people is the nature of the mental and physical feelings when the Avurudu dawns.  Before the New Year dawns, they have to view the moon for the old year and the new moon on the next day for the New Year. The ‘Sinhala Aluth Avurudu Neketh’ (the New Year auspicious times) are mentioned in the ‘Litha’ or the astrology guidance, the new year rituals, and festive schedules. They bathe at an auspicious time on the day of the festival by applying specified herbs. According to the old customs, the auspicious times to perform the different rituals would be announced by resonating the bells and beating the hewisi or drums in the village temples. But today, they are used to setting off firecrackers in towns and villages simultaneously. These rituals are being fulfilled during ‘Nonagathaya’ or the neutral period, which astrologers could not calculate. They prevent all types of work and dealings and engage in religious activities during this period. Therefore, it is also called ‘Punya Kalaya’. It is a time for families to gather and relax. According to their belief, the New Year would dawn the next day, usually on the 14 th  of April every year. People need to fulfill many rituals on New Year’s Day. So, they start the first half to consume the meals and keep off all types of work before fulfilling the religious traditions. According to the astrology guidance, the second half of New Year’s Day is devoted to ‘cooking and consuming meals, and engaging in work.’ They prepare the traditional meal, ‘Kiribath’ or milk rice. On this occasion also, there is an auspicious time to light the hearth, facing a specified direction. It is called in Sinhala – ‘Subha dishawa’ or auspicious direction. They boil milk in a new earthen pot, and it overflows on time, symbolizing prosperity. In the case of the ‘ceremony of engaging in work,’ they engage in limited work to auspicious time. After the dealings, it is time to consume milk, rice, and sweetmeats.  Another prominent feature is respecting the elders by offering a sheaf of betel. They also provide some presents to their kith and kin. In addition to that, they receive blessings from their parents as well. Visiting their friends and relations homes, they strengthen the sense of goodwill and friendship by exchanging presents and greetings during this Avurudu season. This is very useful for forgetting unhappiness and mistakes among relatives and friends and keeping up calm and well-being in society.  On the other hand, New Year means fulfilling customaries and rituals and time for entertainment.  Traditionally, they organize so many games at the beginning of the Avurudu like: olinda keliya, eluvan keliya, Raban gesima, onchili varan, keta gesima, gama wate diveema, kamba edima, and they engage in the marathon and bicycle races as well. Besides that, another exciting competition is selecting the Avurudu Kumaraya and Avurudu Kumari, or New Year Prince and Princess. Sometimes they offer some prizes and certificates to winners of the competitions.  According to the lunar calendar, The Sinhala New Year falls in the month of ‘Bak’ that’s April, based on the sun’s movement. Usually, the New Year does not end within one day, but they get a chance to plant a tree the following day, at an auspicious time as a tree plantation campaign, which is very important for the whole world today.  Another significant occasion is the ritual of the anointing of oil. Individuals step on the herbal leaves placed on the floor on this occasion. Some herbal leaves are placed above the head because they provide a soothing effect for the body and mind. So, traditionally, this anointing is done by an elderly person in that area or by the temple’s chief priest. Therefore, sometimes it is organized by the temple in the village or town, as an ‘anointing of oil ceremony’ after fulfilling religious rituals, with the blessings for health and longevity. In other words, that means they apply herbal moisture and herbal oil on the head and take a bath. They believe these rituals help them for good health.  On the other hand, can they enjoy the Sinhala new year every day? No. Then they say, ‘Hema dama avurudu netha, (Every day is not New Year) so they have to start the work or business leaving the New Year behind. But they cannot just start the job, they have to seek a good time. Therefore, those who have to go for work or business looking for an auspicious time and direction to venture into it.  Is that all? No. They also have to dress in a new suit of a particular color and consume milk rice with some sweetmeats. Why do they like to have milk rice? According to Ayurveda, milk rice is soothing to the body; it cools the nervous system. Anyhow, to my mind, these astrologers are wonderful guys because they predicate to people about the auspicious times and directions for everything, whatever happened in their life.  What is the face on the other side of the same coin? Really, after the Avurudu is over, are they all being happy? Some are not, really, because their money is run out or debt to friends, or some have become a drunkard, while some have been hospitalized with injuries caused by crackers. On the other hand, there is a corona pandemic worldwide, interrupting the New Year. Therefore, you must participate in fewer activities in this pandemic period and limit it to only rituals to protect yourself from viruses and others. People can fulfill their new year customs with their own family, with limited individuals and giving the central part to the religious activities. Not only that, it is better to limit it to a very few days for all activities, then people can save their money and time. They can go through festivities without any trouble. Finally, I wish all readers and the people in the whole world good health, longevity, and peace in the New Year, without any sorrow and any wars in the world. Peace may prevail in the world!  Suba Aluth Avuruddak Wewa!   Explore Sri Lanka July 2024 Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy © 2023 BT Options. All Rights Reserved. General Tours Family Tours Boutique And Luxury Tours Adventure Tours Wildlife Tours Cultural Tour Things to do Tailor Made Sinhala and Tamil New Year All Tour Types Boutique and Luxury Tours Eco Adventure Tours Wildlife Tours Romantic Tours Cultural Tours Ramayana Tours Ayurveda Tours Halal Friendly Tours General Tours Family Tours All Months to Travel January February March April May June July August Semptember October November December The Sinhala & Tamil New Year in Sri Lanka (Aluth Avurudda  අලුත් අවුරුද්ද or Puthandu  புத்தாண்டு) celebrates the end the harvesting season. The dawn of the New Year is based on the  sun’s astrological movement from the  Meena Rashiya  (House of Pisces) to the  Mesha Rashiya  (House of Aries), bringing to an end the harvesting season. This festival is celebrated in the month of April and at this time the sun is directly above the island. April is known as  Bak  in the Buddhist calendar and the people of Sri Lanka welcome the Sinhala & Tamil New Year with loud bursts of firecrackers. The Erabadu trees ( Erythrina variegatea)  are in full bloom during this period and everyone hopes for continued peace and prosperity. Astrology and importance of the ‘Nakath’ Time The dawn of the Sinhala & Tamil New Year is unique in that it does not take place at a specific time every year (ie. Midnight), but at a time specified according to astrological calculations. Furthermore the duration of time between the end of the old year and beginning of the new one is sometimes as long as 12 hours and 48 minutes. This is when the sun begins to cross the astrological border of  Meena Rashiya and  Mesha Rashiya , ending when the crossing is complete. When the sun crosses the point midway between these two, it signifies the dawn of the New Year. This period of transition is considered a neutral period ( Nonagathe ) and as tradition dictates material pursuits are avoided and emphasis is on religious activities or traditional games. Every part of this festival is carried out according to astrologically determined ‘auspicious times’ or  Nakath . Preparing the Avurudu Meals Preparations for this great festival begins weeks in advance when families clean and paint their homes, buy new clothes and gifts for family members. A very important purchase is the new clay pot in which the milk will be boiled on New Year’s Day. Traditional sweetmeats such as Kavum (small oil cakes), Kokis (a crisp, crunchy sweetmeat), Aluwa (diamond shaped sweets made of rice flour), mung kavum and many others are also prepared in advance and stored in readiness for the great day. A Cuckoo bird known as  Koha  ( කොහා)  is in its mating season around this time and the unique mating call of the male is regarded as the harbinger of this festival. The auspicious times for lighting the hearth and boiling a pot of milk are announced by thousands of firecrackers. Families gather around the fire to watch the milk boil over as it is considered a symbol of good luck.  Kiribath  (milk-rice) is prepared and the family partakes of a meal which also includes the previously prepared sweetmeats and fruits (bananas). The first business transaction of the New Year too is carried out at a specified time. Avurudu Rituals, Music and games Presenting elders with a sheaf of Betel leaves and paying homage is a custom practiced on all important occasions in Sri Lanka, New Year included. Gifts are also exchanged and the rest of the day is spent visiting relatives and engaging in New Year games with members of the community. The  Rabana   a wide, flat drum is an important feature of the Avurudu celebrations, and it is played by groups of villagers, mainly females accompanied by lyrical versus called  raban pada. In Sri Lanka, many born and bred in the beautiful villages all over the island leave their homes in order to find work in big cities. The Sinhala and Tamil New Year is a time for everyone to return home and celebrate with family. After the festivities are over, people leave for work at an auspicious time, usually a few days after the main festival day. In between the day of festivities and leaving for work, a special ceremony of anointing the people with herbal oil is performed in the village Temple. The chief prelate anoints each member of the community with specially prepared medicinal oil that is believed to contain healing powers that will bestow the individual with a healthy start to the New Year. While being anointed he/she stands on a bed of medicinal leaves while the prelate chants verses that impart wishes for good health. Sri Lanka is a country with a rich agricultural heritage, therefore the Sinhala & Tamil New Year festival and all accompanying traditions have evolved with the village culture as their basis. However even the present day urbasisation has not succeeded in obliterating the festivities, and families living in towns too, adhere to many of the customs, especially the  Nonagathe , lighting of the hearth and boiling milk, enjoying the first meal together and engaging in transactions. Take Part in New Year celebrations As a New Year celebration the Sinhala & Tamil New Year has many unique features and you are free to join in! Most hotels and guest houses across the island conduct New Year festivities complete with all the delicious food, for the benefit of their patrons, giving them the chance to enjoy this lovely experience. Tourslanka offers you packages to any part of the island with the best of accommodation. If you plan to be visit the island in April, be our guest at the Sinhala & Tamil New Year! Skip to primary navigation Skip to main content Skip to primary sidebar Student Sri Lanka Education Courses, Classes, Jobs, O/L A/L Exams, Universities Sinhala and Tamil New Year Games in Sri Lanka– Aurudu Kreeda April 10, 2018 By Hiran Leave a Comment The Sri Lankan Sinhalese and Tamil New Year ( Aluth Avurudhu ” in Sinhala and “ Puththandu   in Tamil ) is a national festival which has been celebrated for centuries. The most pronounced areas of the new year festivities are food, games and the rituals of goodwill. The new year games can be categorized as indoor and outdoor games. Some of the indoor games are bello (sea shells) and kaju (cashew nuts) . The outdoor games are havari hengima (hiding the wig), chaggudu and kotta pora (pillow-fighting), kathuru oncilla , ankeliya , olinda keliya, eluvan keliya, mevara sellama, raban upatha, buhu keliya, muthi gesilla, rena dela del, muthu keliya, onchili varam and mee sellama. The significance of the games is that everyone regardless of the age, gets themselves involved in the competitions. Also, all the indoor games are played on the floor. If the games were to be played by sitting on chairs, it would create certain problems of sitting, which in the traditional Sri Lankan culture involves certain restrictions. Added to that, when the outdoor games are played on a village-scale, the entire neighbourhood gets together which enhances the unity and eliminate the misunderstandings of the past . Major New year games (Aurudu Kreeda) Pancha keliya (pancha dameema, kavadi dameema and bello dameema). This game is done by using shells. This is a traditional game that has been there for a long time. Pancha is played with five small seashells, a coconut shell, and a chart. Players are divided into two groups. The playing of the Rabana (drum beating) Onchilla – the swings Singing Raban pada and onchili waram  (verang kavi) Singing is also a part of riding swings and these songs are called varang kavi. Our folk literature is full of such raban pada and varang kavi. Olinda Keliya (Mancala game) Olinda Keliya uses a wooden board (olinda kolombuwa/ poruwa) which has several holes. Normally played by 2 players where 9 holes are placed 4 beads each. Olinda seed’s sting behind bright red and black. Players shift the beads from a hole to the other and collect seeds found in the hole quickly after an empty one. The player who collects the most number of seeds is the winner. This is the verse sung during this Game “Olinda thibenne koi koi dese, Olinda thibenne bangali dese……. Genth handanne koi koi dese, Genath handanne Sinhala dese…” AnKeliya (Hook Tugging) Ankeliya (Horn Game, a game played using horns), Likeliya (Stick Game) and Polkeliya (Coconut game) are games played on behalf of god Pattini. These games share the feature of a competition between wo teams, with most commonly one team representing Pattini and the other team representing either her spouse or another male deity. In Ankeliya, hook tugging, udu pila and yati pila teams meet at the Angpitiya or tugging field which has a strong tree, the angha groving in it. The two hooks or Ang (horns) either made from the heartwood of some storng timber such as iron wood. or tamarind or from the base with brow tine of a sambhur antler are then brought by their respective teams. Games played at New Year Festivals There are New Year celebrations organised by various village associations and TV channels. In these festivals several other games and items are organized. These may not be traditional but now they are also part of New Year Games and Items in Sri Lanka. These events are more commercialised today. TV channels also organise New Year festivals. It has a commercial aspect but it also serves a purpose, as the younger generation particularly in urban areas who are not familiar with New Year rituals and games can learn a lot about our culture. Among the sports and games played at these functions are: Climbing the greasy pole, (Lissana gaha nageema) A very long timber pole made from a puwak tree, about 10 metres high, is fixed into the ground. At the top of the pole money is placed or sometimes just a flag. The pole has been rubbed with thick slimy grease along its whole length. The first person to climb to the top claims the money. However, repeated attempts are made with some of the grease being removed on each attempt until finally, when all the grease has been removed, the last person can climb to the top and claim the money. This is a game similar to baseball, played with a small ball and a long stick. The game is played by two teams, and the aim is to score runs by hitting the ball and running between the bases. Pillow-fighting (Kotta Pora) Tug-o-war (Kamba Adeema) This is a Tug-o-War between two teams against each other in a test of strength. The teams compete to pull the other team across a marked line. Kanamutti bindeema Kana Mutti Binthenna: In this game, a player is blindfolded and given a stick to hit a clay pot filled with water. A line of pots is placed on a rope pole while the player tries to hit it. The winner is the person who hits the correct pot. Placing the eye on the elephant (Aliyata asa thabeema) This is an enjoyable experience where participants are blindfolded and have to spot the elephant’s eye. Coconut scraping/ Pora Pol Gaseema (coconut match): This is played by throwing husked coconuts at each other until a coconut held by one of the players is broken. Lime and spoon Beauty queen contest (avurudu kumari and pancha kalyani). Avurudu Kumariya: This is a beauty pageant competition for young girls. Girls dress up in traditional dresses and showcase their skills in singing, dancing, and other cultural activities. Cycle Races and Road Running (Marathon) “The New Year Festival of Sri Lanka” – Viduranga Yashavi Waisundara –  09 October 2001 –  nus.edu.sg “ Customs and traditions” – The Sunday Times – 08 April 2001 “The April New Year Festival” – Professor J.B. Disanayake “The koha still shouts”  – Ishara JAYAWARDANE – Daily News – 16 April 2013 Share this: Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) No related posts. Reader Interactions Leave a reply cancel reply. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. MyU : For Students, Faculty, and Staff Four new CSE department heads begin in 2024-25 They bring a wealth of academic, research, and leadership abilities MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (07/01/2024)—University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering Dean Andrew Alleyne has named four new department heads in the college. All bring a wealth of academic, research, and leadership abilities to their departments. Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Professor Kevin Dorfman has been appointed as the new d epartment h ead for the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science (CEMS). Dorfman started his five-year term on July 1, 2024. Dorfman joined the University of Minnesota faculty in January of 2006 and was quickly promoted up the ranks, receiving tenure in 2011, promotion to professor in 2015, and named a Distinguished McKnight Professor in 2020. He previously served as the director of undergraduate studies in chemical engineering from 2018-2022, where he headed a large-scale revision of the chemical engineering curriculum and saw the department through its most recent ABET accreditation.  His research focuses on polymer physics and microfluidics, with applications in self-assembly and biotechnology. He is particularly well known for his integrated experimental and computational work on DNA confinement in nanochannels and its application towards genome mapping. Dorfman’s research has been recognized by numerous national awards including the AIChE Colburn Award, Packard Fellowship in Science and Engineering, NSF CAREER Award, and DARPA Young Faculty Award. Dorfman received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Penn State and a master’s and Ph.D. in chemical engineering from MIT.  Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering Professor Archis  Ghate has been appointed as the new Department Head for the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering after a national search. Ghate will begin his five-year term on July 8, 2024.  Ghate is an expert in operations research and most recently served as the Fluor Endowed Chair in the Department of Industrial Engineering at Clemson University. Previously, he was a professor of industrial and systems engineering at the University of Washington. He has won several research and teaching awards, including an NSF CAREER Award.  Ghate’s research in optimization spans areas as varied as health care, transportation and logistics, manufacturing, economics, and business analytics. He also served as a principal research scientist at Amazon working on supply chain optimization technologies.  Ghate received bachelor’s and master’s degrees, both in chemical engineering, from the Indian Institute of Technology. He also received a master’s degree in management science and engineering from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in industrial and operations engineering from the University of Michigan. Department of Mechanical Engineering Professor Chris Hogan has been appointed as the new department head for the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Hogan started his five-year term on July 1, 2024. Hogan, who currently holds the Carl and Janet Kuhrmeyer Chair, joined the University of Minnesota in 2009, and since then has taught fluid mechanics and heat transfer to nearly 1,000 undergraduates, advised 25+ Ph.D. students and postdoctoral associates, and served as the department’s director of graduate studies from 2015-2020. He most recently served as associate department head.  He is a leading expert in particle science with applications including supersonic-to-hypersonic particle impacts with surfaces, condensation and coagulation, agricultural sprays, and virus aerosol sampling and control technologies. He has authored and co-authored more than 160 papers on these topics. He currently serves as the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Aerosol Science . Hogan received the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering’s George W. Taylor Award for Distinguished Research in 2023. Hogan holds a bachelor’s degree Cornell University and a Ph.D. from Washington University in Saint Louis. School of Physics and Astronomy Professor James Kakalios   has been appointed   as the new department head for the School of Physics and Astronomy. Kakalios started his five-year term on July 1, 2024. Since joining the School of Physics and Astronomy in 1988, Kakalios has built a research program in experimental condensed matter physics, with particular emphasis on complex and disordered systems. His research ranges from the nano to the neuro with experimental investigations of the electronic and optical properties of nanostructured semiconductors and fluctuation phenomena in neurological systems. During his time at the University of Minnesota, Kakalios has served as both director of undergraduate studies and director of graduate studies. He has received numerous awards and professorships including the University’s Taylor Distinguished Professorship, Andrew Gemant Award from the American Institute of Physics, and the Award for Public Engagement with Science from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He is a fellow of both the American Physical Society and AAAS.  In addition to numerous research publications, Kakalios is the author of three popular science books— The Physics of Superheroes , The Amazing Story of Quantum Mechanics , and The Physics of Everyday Things . Kaklios received a bachelor’s degree from City College of New York and master’s and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Chicago. Rhonda Zurn, College of Science and Engineering,  [email protected] University Public Relations,  [email protected] Read more stories: Find more news and feature stories on the  CSE news page . 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With Flexibility in CSE K-12 outreach overview Summer camps Outreach events Enrichment programs Field trips and tours CSE K-12 Virtual Classroom Resources Educator development Sponsor an event Women initiate most ‘gray divorces’ despite the financial risk. Here’s what made one 69-year-old realize ‘I’m going to do it’ By mid-2022, Mary knew she needed to leave her husband of almost 20 years. While she and her soon-to-be-ex-husband still have a cordial relationship, Mary—who asked that her last name be withheld to talk freely about her divorce in the midst of the proceedings—says they began to have increasingly polarized political views over the past few years, and she didn’t feel at home anymore with him or among their community. She took about a year to think through the decision and shore up her finances, and last November, the couple separated. “I just realized, I had no joy in my life,” Mary says. “I have this sense of guilt that every woman I’ve ever met has had. I feel responsible for his happiness. But then there came a day where I thought, I have 10 years, maybe 15—I’m going to do it.” It wasn’t an easy decision. Mary is 69 and hasn’t worked full-time in years because of a disability. She would be left without much in the way of income aside from her monthly Social Security payments and whatever she receives in the settlement. She also didn’t want to blindside her partner, whom she still cares for, and she feared the stigma associated with being twice divorced (she separated from her first husband in the early 2000s). At a time when many couples are happy to be child-free and enjoying newfound freedom after leaving the workforce, Mary was opting for instability and chaos. But like many women over 50 who seemingly have everything to lose, Mary pushed forward with the divorce anyway. “Gray divorce”—the term for separations that occur over the age of 50—is skyrocketing in the U.S. , with older couples separating at twice the rate they did in the 1990s (the rate is triple for those over 65). And in heterosexual relationships, the vast majority of them are initiated by Gen X and baby boomer women, who typically have far more on the line financially than their male partners. In fact, one study found women who divorce after 50 experience a 45% decline in their standard of living, while men see theirs drop by 21%. Around 20% of women become impoverished in the year after a divorce, according to the Census Bureau , compared with 11% of men. Mary knew she’d be sacrificing stability and a beautiful home with a hand-tended garden for her happiness. She’s now living in a rented room in her first husband’s house (they remain friends) while she and her second spouse work out the details of their split, like divvying up retirement accounts and whether she’ll receive spousal support. Almost a year after they separated, Mary is ready to sign the papers and officially move on. But one issue in particular has stalling the proceedings: What happens to their home? ‘It’s the only way either of us can move forward’ Mary and her ex have now discussed at least four different plans when it comes to splitting assets, including the house they own in Virginia. Purchased in 2014, it’s grown in value considerably over the years alongside their other investments; comps put the value at just over $1 million. Financial experts say it’s not unusual for the house to be one of the major holdups in gray divorce proceedings. A home is, of course, more than a place to live. It’s filled with memories and mementos, and there are emotional connections in addition to financial concerns. Mary mentions that though this doesn’t apply to her (she didn’t raise her children in the current home), many older women, especially, feel a special connection because they have their identity tied up in the family home, where they performed most of their labor over the years—often for decades. But it is usually imperative to sell the home postdivorce, says Kelly Mould, senior vice president and financial advisor at Johnson Financial Group. Many older couples own them outright or have significant equity built up, making them the couple’s most valuable assets. Even if one partner wants to stay in the home, he or she might not be able to afford the payments, taxes, upkeep, and so on. “Often you will see parties go to great lengths to try to retain the property, even when it’s not a good financial move,” says Mould. “Having a good attorney and financial advisor can usually make this an easier decision…They present those options without the sentimentality that can run afoul of financial logic.” Unless the couple can come to an agreement on their own, many courts will require the sale of the home in a divorce, says Mould (though this differs from situation to situation and state to state). That said, she says courts are increasingly accepting “unique” arrangements, like shared plans that give each partner access to the property—like a vacation home—at different times of the year. “A court may entertain a creative option. However, if it doesn’t work, the court most often defaults to a plan that closes the case,” says Mould. Mary and her soon-to-be-ex are still working out what makes the most financial sense, although she will not be living there again. While she will miss the small things—her gardens, the fireplace she designed in the living room, the grocery store whose aisles she’s memorized over the years—she doesn’t want it. Given how much home prices have appreciated in recent years, they are trying to work out a way to lessen the tax bill on a potential sale, which is slowing down the process. “There’s not a plant I didn’t plant there thinking it would be there forever,” she says. But “our house, it would give us good equity if we just sliced it right in half. It’s the only way either of us can move forward financially.” That said, she can’t live in her first husband’s home long term and is worried about being able to afford her own apartment with her Social Security payments and whatever she gets from the divorce settlement. Mould says parents moving in with their adult children is increasingly common among gray divorcées, and that’s what Mary hopes will happen. Right now, she is looking for a home with one of her sons and his wife. They are seeking an in-law suite for her to live in, and she would contribute what she’s able to. But given how high home prices across the country have spiraled, Mary isn’t optimistic. Despite all of the headaches and life-changing decision after life-changing decision, Mary said she doesn’t regret her new direction. She has community to lean into—her sons, siblings, best friend, and first ex-husband have all rallied around her—and has gotten back to her first love: writing. “People keep telling me I’m brave,” she says. But if there is one thing she could communicate to other women weighing the pros and cons of a later-in-life divorce, it is that “you can be happy now. It’s your turn. That’s pretty profound for me, that’s a bit of a mantra now. Even if you give up the house and the easy chair with the shape of your butt, it’s so comforting.” Latest in Personal Finance What credit score do you need to buy a house? Gen Zers and millennials have it harder than boomers did with college debt and buying a home—but they’re much better about saving Current mortgage rates as of July 3, 2024 Fed Chair Jerome Powell says inflation is on the downswing—but don’t expect rate cuts yet KeyBank review July 2024: checking, savings, CDs, and more What’s in Dia’s wallet:  What are miles and points worth, anyway? Most popular. Professionals would rather ‘super-commute’ for over 4 hours a day and keep their pandemic-style suburban life than live near the office YouTube star and philanthropist MrBeast says ‘ideally’ governments, not content creators, should build homes and cure blindness—but he won’t ‘stand by and do nothing’ A WFH ‘culture war’ has broken out across Europe, with the U.K. leading the charge as the most WFH-friendly country, while France lags behind Steve Ballmer, who was once Bill Gates’ assistant, is now richer than his onetime mentor Tractor Supply’s DEI reversal to appease right-wing critics could fracture its surprisingly diverse ‘exurban’ customer base Gen Zers are so disillusioned with the economy that many think it’s okay to commit fraud Forgot Your Password? New to The Nation ? Subscribe Print subscriber? Activate your online access Current Issue The President Can Now Assassinate You, Officially Under this new standard, a president can go on a four-to-eight-year crime spree and then retire from public life, never to be held accountable. United States Supreme Court justices pose for their official portrait on October 7, 2022, in Washington, DC. Welp, Donald Trump won. The Supreme Court today ruled that presidents are entitled to “absolute immunity” from criminal prosecution for official acts, then contended that pressuring the vice president and the Department of Justice to overthrow the government was an “official act,” then said that talking to advisers or making public statements are “official acts” as well, and then determined that evidence of what presidents say and do cannot be used against them to establish that their acts are “unofficial.” The ruling from the Supreme Court was 6-3, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, on a straight party-line vote, with all the Republican-appointed justices joining to give the president the power of a king. While some parts of the federal indictment against Trump will be remanded back down to the district-court trial judge to determine whether any of Trump’s actions were “unofficial” (“unofficial” acts, the court says, are not entitled to immunity), Trump’s victory in front of the Supreme Court is total. Essentially, all he has to do is claim that everything he did to plot a coup was part of his “official” duties, and the Supreme Court provided no clear method or evidentiary standard that can be used to challenge that presumption. Legally, there are two critical things to understand about the totality of the court’s ruling here: The immunity is absolute There is no legislative way to get rid of what the court has given On the first point, the immunity granted to Trump in this case far exceeds the immunity granted to, say, police officers or other government officials, when they act in their official capacities. Those officials are granted “qualified” immunity from civil penalties. Because the immunity is “qualified,” it can be taken away (“pierced” is the legal jargon for taking away an official’s qualified immunity). People can bring evidence against officials and argue that they shouldn’t be given immunity because of the gravity or depravity of their acts. Not so with Trump. Presidents are now entitled to “absolute” immunity, which means that no matter what they do, the immunity cannot be lost. They are always and forever immune, no matter what evidence is brought to bear. Moreover, unlike other officials, presidents are now entitled to absolute immunity from criminal charges. Even a cop can be charged with, say, murder , even if they argue that killing people is part of their jobs. But not presidents. Presidents can murder, rape, steal, and pretty much do whatever they want, so long as they argue that murdering, raping, or stealing is part of the official job of the president of the United States. There is no crime that pierces the veil of absolute immunity. And there is essentially nothing we can do to change it. The courts created qualified immunity for public officials, but it can be undone by state or federal legislatures if they pass a law removing that protection. Not so with absolute presidential immunity. The court here says that absolute immunity is required by the separation of powers inherent in the Constitution, meaning that Congress cannot take it away. Congress, according to the Supreme Court, does not have the power to pass legislation saying “the president can be prosecuted for crimes.” Impeachment, and only impeachment, is the only way to punish presidents, and, somewhat obviously, impeachment does nothing to a president who is already no longer in office. The Nation Weekly Under this new standard, a president can go on a four-to-eight-year crime spree, steal all the money and murder all the people they can get their hands on, all under guise of presumptive “official” behavior, and then retire from public life, never to be held accountable for their crimes while in office. That, according to the court, is what the Constitution requires.  There will be Republicans and legal academics and whatever the hell job Jonathan Turley has who will go into overdrive arguing that the decision isn’t as bad as all that. These bad-faith actors will be quoted or even published in The Washington Post and The New York Times . They will argue that presidents can still be prosecuted for “unofficial acts,” and so they will say that everything is fine. But they will be wrong, because while the Supreme Court says “unofficial” acts are still prosecutable, the court has left nearly no sphere in which the president can be said to be acting “unofficially.” And more importantly, the court has left virtually no vector of evidence that can be deployed against a president to prove that their acts were “unofficial.” If trying to overthrow the government is “official,” then what isn’t? And if we can’t use the evidence of what the president says or does, because communications with their advisers, other government officials, and the public is “official,” then how can we ever show that an act was taken “unofficially”? Take the now-classic example of a president ordering Seal Team Six to assassinate a political rival. According to the logic of the Republicans on the Supreme Court, that would likely be an official act. According to their logic, there is also no way to prove it’s “unofficial,” because any conversation the president has with their military advisers (where, for instance, the president tells them why they want a particular person assassinated) is official and cannot be used against them. There will doubtless be people still wondering if Trump can somehow be prosecuted: The answer is “no.” Special counsel Jack Smith will surely argue that presenting fake electors in connection with his cadre of campaign sycophants was not an “official act.” Lower-court judges may well agree. But when that appeal gets back to the Supreme Court next year, the same justices who just ruled that Trump is entitled to absolute immunity will surely rule that submitting fake electors was also part of Trump’s “official” responsibilities. A Senior DNC Member Says There’s a Way to Replace Biden and Beat Trump A Senior DNC Member Says There’s a Way to Replace Biden and Beat Trump John Nichols The President Can Now Assassinate You, Officially The President Can Now Assassinate You, Officially Elie mystal, running biden against trump is just plain irresponsible running biden against trump is just plain irresponsible. Column / Sasha Abramsky The Grand Old Party of Liars The Grand Old Party of Liars Editorial / John Nichols for The Nation There is no way to change that outcome in the short term. In the long term, the only way to undo the authoritarianism the court has just ushered in is to expand the Supreme Court . Democrats would have to win the upcoming presidential election and the House and the Senate. Then Congress would have to pass a law expanding the number of justices on the Supreme Court; then the Senate would have to pass that law as well, which, at a minimum, would likely have to include getting rid of the filibuster. Then the president would have to sign such a bill, and appoint additional Supreme Court justices who do not think that presidents should be kings—and then those justices would have to be confirmed. And all of that would have to happen before the current Supreme Court hears whatever Trump appeal from his January 6 charges comes up next, because if court expansion happens after the current Supreme Court dismisses the charges against him, double jeopardy will attach and Trump can never be prosecuted again under a less-fascist court. So, since that’s not going to happen, Trump won. He won completely. He tried to overthrow the government, and he got away with it. I cannot even imagine what he’ll try if he is actually given power again, knowing full well that he will never be held accountable for literal crimes. If you ever wondered what you’d have done in ancient Rome, when the Roman Republic was shuttered and Augustus Caesar declared himself the “first” citizen of Rome, the answer is: whatever you’re doing right now. It’s what you would have done during the Restoration of King Charles II in England, and what you would have done when Napoleon declared himself emperor of France. This, right here, is how republics die. And the answer that cries out from the abyss of history is that most people, in real time, don’t care. Republics fall because most citizens are willing to give it away. Most people think that it won’t be that bad to lose the rule of law, and the people who stand to benefit from the ending of republican self-government tell everybody that it will be OK. When the Imperium came to be, the Romans didn’t realize that they were seeing the last form of European self-government for 2,000 years, and the ones who did were largely happy about it. For my part, I assume that like Mark Antony’s wife, Fulvia, defiling the decapitated head of Cicero, Martha-Ann Alito will be jabbing her golden hairpin into my tongue for criticizing the powerful soon enough. But I’m just a writer. I wonder what the rest of you will do as the last vestiges of democracy are taken away by the Imperial Supreme Court and the untouchable executive officer they’ve just created. Submit a correction Send a letter to the editor Reprints & permissions Thank you for reading The Nation We hope you enjoyed the story you just read, just one of the many incisive, deeply-reported articles we publish daily. Now more than ever, we need fearless journalism that shifts the needle on important issues, uncovers malfeasance and corruption, and uplifts voices and perspectives that often go unheard in mainstream media. Throughout this critical election year and a time of media austerity and renewed campus activism and rising labor organizing, independent journalism that gets to the heart of the matter is more critical than ever before. Donate right now and help us hold the powerful accountable, shine a light on issues that would otherwise be swept under the rug, and build a more just and equitable future. For nearly 160 years, The Nation has stood for truth, justice, and moral clarity. As a reader-supported publication, we are not beholden to the whims of advertisers or a corporate owner. But it does take financial resources to report on stories that may take weeks or months to properly investigate, thoroughly edit and fact-check articles, and get our stories into the hands of readers. Donate today and stand with us for a better future. Thank you for being a supporter of independent journalism. Elie Mystal is  The Nation ’s justice correspondent and the host of its legal podcast, Contempt of Court . He is also an Alfred Knobler Fellow at the Type Media Center. His first book is the New York Times bestseller Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution, published by The New Press. Elie can be followed @ElieNYC . More from The Nation The Roberts Supreme Court’s Decision on Netchoice Was Righteous The Roberts Supreme Court’s Decision on Netchoice Was Righteous No, that is not a typo. Amid the deluge this week, Big Tech didn't get what it wanted. 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Reporting by Kane Wu and Julie Zhu; Additional reporting by James Davey and Huw Jones in London; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee, Jan Harvey and Mark Potter Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. New Tab , opens new tab Business Chevron AbbVie cuts 2024 profit forecast on acquisition-related expenses AbbVie on Wednesday lowered its 2024 adjusted profit forecast as the drugmaker expects to incur $937 million in acquisition-related expenses. Advertisement Supported by Abortion Debate Shifts as Election Nears: ‘Now It’s About Pregnancy’ Two years after Roe was struck down, the conversation has focused on the complications that can come with pregnancy and fertility, helping to drive more support for abortion rights. Share full article By Kate Zernike In the decades that Roe v. Wade was the law of the land, abortion rights groups tried to shore up support for it by declaring “Abortion Is Health Care.” Only now, two years after the Supreme Court eliminated the constitutional right to abortion, and just six months before the presidential election, has the slogan taken on the force of reality. The public conversation about abortion has grown into one about the complexities of pregnancy and reproduction, as the consequences of bans have played out in the news. The question is no longer just whether you can get an abortion, but also, Can you get one if pregnancy complications put you in septic shock? Can you find an obstetrician when so many are leaving states with bans? If you miscarry, will the hospital send you home to bleed? Can you and your partner do in vitro fertilization? That shift helps explain why a record percentage of Americans are now declaring themselves single-issue voters on abortion rights — especially among Black voters, Democrats, women and those ages 18 to 29 . Republican women are increasingly saying their party’s opposition to abortion is too extreme, and Democrats are running on the issue after years of running away from it. “When the Dobbs case came down, I told my friends — somewhat but not entirely in jest — that America was about to be exposed to a lengthy seminar on obstetrics,” said Elaine Kamarck, a fellow at the Brookings Institution, referring to the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. Abortion opponents say that stories about women facing medical complications are overblown and that women who truly need abortions for medical reasons have been able to get them under exceptions to the bans. We are having trouble retrieving the article content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber?  Log in . Want all of The Times?  Subscribe . 234 COMMENTS අලුත් අවුරුද්ද සිංහල රචනාව Hello everyone,This video is giving you some details, to write an essay in sinhala. Hope this will help parents and adults, to get an idea to teach your chil... Sinhalese New Year Sinhala and Tamil New Year Card. Sinhalese New Year, generally known as Aluth Avurudda (Sinhala: අලුත් අවුරුද්ද) in Sri Lanka, is a Sri Lankan holiday that celebrates the traditional New Year of the Sinhalese people and Tamil population of Sri Lanka.It is a major anniversary celebrated by not only the Sinhalese and Tamil people but by most Sri Lankans. The Sinhala And Tamil New Year සිංහල සහ දෙමළ අළුත් අවුරුද්ද Dear viewers, In this lesson, I am going to teach you how to write an essay on the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. Through this, you will be able to improve your... sinhala and tamil new year essay in sinhala and tamil sinhala and tamil new year essay in sinhala and tamil | සිංහල හා හින්දු අලුත් අවුරුද්ද | சிங்கள தமிழ் ... Sinhala and Tamil new year This Essay has 190 words. Total number of words to be = 150. Total Marks = 14. Sinhala essay :- Sinhala and Tamil New Year (Sinhala saha demala aluth awrudda) - Grade 7. This event can be called a cultural festival to be held in April by the Sinhala and Tamil people. According to astrology, the Sun transits from Pisces to Aries. Sinhala and Tamil New Year Essays This Essay has 220 words. Sinhala essay :- Sinhala and Tamil New Year (Sinhala saha demala aluth awrudda) - Grade 8. The Sinhala and Tamil New Year is a holiday celebrated as a community. New Year will help to build up human relationships. This season, where the New Year's Eve passes, cleans the mind of people. Traditions and customs of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year Youth Observer. 11 April, 2021. The Sinhala and Tamil New Year is one of the most important and awaited holidays on the Sri Lankan calendar. Referred to as the Aluth Avurudda by the Sinhalese and Puthandu by the Tamil community, this is celebrated in many households as the sun moves from Pisces (commonly referred to as Meena Rashiya) to Aries ... Sinhala essays Model Papers - Prototype Questions for G.C.E. (A.L.) Examination 2019 Government school - TEXT BOOKS DOWNLOAD. Free Sinhala essays for Grade 6,7,8,9,10,11,O/L,A/L. සිංහල රචනා by qualified Language teacher in Sri Lanka. sinhala and tamil new year Rachana. The Sinhala New Year; A festival of gratitude and harmony The month of April or Bak, is a time of celebration for the Sinhalese. The April festival is known as the Sinhalese New Year. This festival season is more about a harvest festival and a set of age old rituals of paying gratitude towards Mother Nature and the gods of harvest. During the month of April, farmers harvest their crops. PDF The Sinhala New Year And Customs The Sinhala Customs New. Year. And. The Sinhala New Year, known as 'Avurudu' in Sinhala, is an important festival for Sinhala Buddhists in Sri Lanka and abroad. This is called 'Sinhala Aluth Avurudda.'. As a national festival, it is a unique celebration, as Sinhala Buddhists in Sri Lanka and other countries worldwide celebrate it as a ... Sinhala and Tamil New Year: Customs, History, Foods, Games and The holiday is celebrated with traditional rituals, merrymaking, feasting and fun and games. Sinhala New Year is the Buddhist New Year. Tamil New Year is the Hindu New Year. They are both celebrated at the same time. New Year — known as Aluth Avurudhu in Sinhala and Puththandu in Tamil — coincides with end of the harvest season and the run ... Sinhala and Tamil New Year In Sri Lanka, new year celebrations start on 13th of April and end in 14th of the month. Sinhala and Tamil New Year. The biggest celebration in Sri Lanka that features a load of rituals and customs is one of the must things to experience in your holiday on the island. Based on the sun's movement from the Meena Rashiya (House of Pieces) to the ... sinhala and tamil new year When the sun moves from the Meena Rashiya (House of Pisces) to the Mesha Rashiya (House of Aries) in the celestial sphere; Sri Lankans begin celebrating their New Year or Aluth Avurudhu (in Sinhala) and Puththandu (in Tamil). It marks the end of the harvest season and also coincides with one of 2 instances when the sun is directly above Sri ... THE SINHALA NEW YEAR ~ Essays Lanka Essays Lanka 7:23 AM. The Sinhala New Year stands as the most delightful and eagerly awaited festival for the Sinhala people. While Vesak holds a purely religious significance, the Sinhala New Year goes beyond faith, resonating on a social, cultural, and national level. Dating back to the existence of the Sinhala nation, April 14th is ... The Sinhalese and Tamil New Year The Sinhalese and Tamil New Year. In Sri Lanka, the Sinhalese and Tamil communities celebrate New Year when the Sun enters the zodiac of Aries, which falls in April. For both communities, the New Year is one of the most important events of the year and brings together families as they practice a number of traditions. Avurudu the Sri Lankan New year The Sinhalese & Tamil New Year is called Aluth Avurudda, it is the begining of the new year in Sri Lanka. This is the major holiday season for the country although 2 days are officially announced as holidays but country some what shuts down for about 5 days. The Sinhala New Year basically coincides with the years and months of many traditional ... 10 Things to Know About the Sinhalese and Tamil New Year The new year rituals start in 13th with a ritual called neutral period or Nonagathe. During this time people keep off from all the work and do nothing but engage in religious activities to get the blessing of their religion to prepare for the new year.The dawning of the new year is celebrated on the 14th of April each year! 3. The transition time. The Sinhala New Year And Customs Download as PDF. The Sinhala New Year, known as 'Avurudu' in Sinhala, is an important festival for Sinhala Buddhists in Sri Lanka and abroad. This is called 'Sinhala Aluth Avurudda.'. As a national festival, it is a unique celebration, as Sinhala Buddhists in Sri Lanka and other countries worldwide celebrate it as a festival and ritual ... Sinhala and Tamil New Year The dawn of the Sinhala & Tamil New Year is unique in that it does not take place at a specific time every year (ie. Midnight), but at a time specified according to astrological calculations. Furthermore the duration of time between the end of the old year and beginning of the new one is sometimes as long as 12 hours and 48 minutes. Sinhala and Tamil New Year Games in Sri Lanka- Aurudu Kreeda The Sri Lankan Sinhalese and Tamil New Year (Aluth Avurudhu" in Sinhala and ... games and the rituals of goodwill. The new year games can be categorized as indoor and outdoor games. Some of the indoor games are bello (sea shells) and ... MCQ, Structured, Essay Questions and Analysis - Prof Hiran Amarasekera . රු 600.00 . 5.00 out of 5 Sinhala & Tamil New year essay Sinhala & Tamil New year essay | සිංහල හා හින්දු අලුත් අවුරුද්ද ගැන අනුමාන රචනාවක් | English Essay#රචනා ... Sinhala and Tamil New Year Essay In English Sinhala and Tamil New Year Essay In English Introduction. Usually, the 1 st of January is the day that many countries consider the start of the New Year. But in Sri Lanka, the New Year celebrations begin on the 13 th of April.. The Sinhala and Tamil new year in Sri Lanka consists of a variety of traditions and customs which many citizens celebrate with fireworks, and firecrackers as well as ... Four new CSE department heads begin in 2024-25 Hogan started his five-year term on July 1, 2024.Hogan, who currently holds the Carl and Janet Kuhrmeyer Chair, joined the University of Minnesota in 2009, and since then has taught fluid mechanics and heat transfer to nearly 1,000 undergraduates, advised 25+ Ph.D. students and postdoctoral associates, and served as the department's director ... Why one 69-year-old woman initiated a 'gray divorce' But then there came a day where I thought, I have 10 years, maybe 15—I'm going to do it." 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For 15 straight years, our old dog Clark — a hound-shepherd-retriever mix who was born in the woods and loved the outdoors ever ... Abortion Rights Debate Shifts to Pregnancy and ... Two years after Roe was struck down, the conversation has focused on the complications that can come with pregnancy and fertility, helping to drive more support for abortion rights. Sinhala & Tamil New Year This is an essay about Sinhala and Tamil New Year & explanation. assignment essay homework paper phd report resume review speech thesis