Tamizh Puthandu (14.04.2023)-Rohit Kumar Parmar [1]
Tamiz Puthandu (தமிழ்ப்புத்தாண்டு), also known as Chittirai Vishu (சித்திர விசு in Southern Tamil Nadu), Puthuvarudam or Tamil New Year, is traditionally celebrated on the first day of the Tamil month Chithirai (சித்திர), corresponding to April of the Gregorian calendar.
On this day, Tamil people greet each other by saying "Puthāaṇdu vāazhthugal!" (புத்தாண்டு வாழ்த்துக்கள்) or "Iṉiya puthaandu nalvāazhthugal!" (இனிய புத்தாண்டு நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்), or "Happy new year".
This is one of the few festivals which falls about the same date every year. This time of the year coincides with rabi (winter crop in north India) harvest and the Indian new year, with celebrations on 14th as V/Baisakhi, Pana Sankranti, Puthandu, Mesha Sankranti, and on 15th as Bohag/Rongali Bihu, Pohela Boishakh, and Vishu Kani. [2] It is celebrated as New Year in neighbouring countries of South/South-East Asia also, Bangladesh (Poila Boisakh), Nepal (Bikram Samvat), Pakistan (Punjab province as Baisakhi), Thailand (Songkron), Sri Lanka (Sinhalese New Year).
Puthandu is also celebrated by Tamils in Malaysia, Mauritius, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and other countries with Tamil diaspora.
There are several references to Puthandu in early Tamil literature.
Calendar
Kūdalūr Kizhaar refers to Mesha Raasi/Chitterai as the commencement of the year in the Puṟanāṉūṟu, literally "four hundred poems in the genre puram", and is a classical Tamil poetic work.
The Manimekalai (Tamil epic composed by Kulavāṇikaṉ Seethalai Sataṉar probably around 6th century) alludes to the Hindu solar calendar as we know it today.
Adiyarkunalaar, an early medieval commentator mentions twelve months of the Tamil calendar with particular reference to Chitterai.
There are subsequent inscriptional references in Pagan, Burma dated 11th century AD and in Sukhothai, Thailand dated 14th century AD to South Indian, often Vaishnavite, courtiers tasked with defining the traditional calendar that began in mid-April.
Zodiac signs/Seasons
Sangam period author Nakkirar of Neṭunalvāṭai (ancient tamil poem), wrote that sun travels from Mesha/Chitterai through 11 successive signs of the zodiac.
The Silappadikaaram (Jain Tamil epic) mentions the 12 Rasis or zodiac signs starting with Mesha/Chitterai.
The Tolkaapiyam the oldest surviving Tamil grammar text divides the year into six seasons where Chitterai marks the start of the Ilavenil season or summer.
Celebrations
On the eve of Puthandu, a tray arranged with three fruits (mango, banana and jack fruit), betel leaves and arecanut, gold/silver jewellery, coins/money, flowers and a mirror, similar to the Vishu new year festival ceremonial tray in Kerala. According to the Tamil tradition, this festive tray is auspicious as the first sight upon waking on the new year day.
The day is observed as family time. Households clean up the house, prepare a tray with fruits, flowers and auspicious items, light up the family Puja altar and visit temples. People wear new clothes and children go to elders to pay their respects and seek their blessings, then the family sits down to a vegetarian feast.
Home entrances are decorated elaborately with rice flour and colours designs called moggulu/ kolams/ rangoli.
In the temple city of Madurai, the Chitterai Thiruvizha is celebrated in Meenakshi Temple. A huge exhibition is held, called Chitterai Porutkaatchi. A big Car Festival is held at Tiruvidaimarudur near Kumbakonam. Festivals are also held at Tiruchirapalli, Kanchipuram and other places.
[1] Author (Free lance, IES Retd, Former Senior Economic Adviser, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Adviser UNDP, Yemen P 4) has in posts on his website (https://rohitkparmar.wixsite.com/site), YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/@rohitkparmar), twitter (https://twitter.com/rohitkparmar?s=09), facebook (https://www.facebook.com/rohit.parmar.5268750/), Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit-kumar-parmar-841b4724) been writing/ sharing varied topics and can be reached at rohitkparmar@yahoo.com. [2] Write-up on Vaisakhi is accessible at https://rohitkparmar.wixsite.com/site/post/vaisakhi-वैशाखी-14-04-2023-rohit-kumar-parmar . Write up on Poila Boisakh will be uploaded on 15 April, 2023.
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