Clad in blue, get ready for 'avurudu'

Art by Malithi Sugathadasa

Come next Saturday – April 14 – it will be the long awaited Sinhala Avurudda. It's the biggest national festival in Sri Lanka when a wide range of activities from religious observances to national sports takes place.

The punya kalaya – the period of transition from the old to the New Year – is devoted to religious activities. This period is also called nonagathe meaning the time when there are no auspicious times. Parents go to the temple with their children, offer flowers and incense at the bodhiya (the bo-tree), the chaitya (dagaba) and the budu-ge (image house). They don't fail to call on the 'loku hamuduruwo' (the chief monk) and offer him betel and get his blessings for the coming year. The stipulated period for this and other activities begins at 6.05 in the morning and continues until 6.53 in the evening.

Just as much as new clothes have been bought well in advance and new dresses are made ready for the New Year, the housewife would insist on new pots and pans for cooking.

In addition to the auspicious times, the astrologers would also indicate the lucky colour for avurudu. This year the stipulated colour is blue.

The lighting of the hearth and cooking the first meal for the New Year is a key activity in the home. This year the auspicious time has been fixed for 1.01 in the afternoon facing the South. It is customary to boil a pot of milk ('kiri ithireema') as soon as the hearth is lit. This is a traditional custom whenever a new activity is started like moving into a new house or starting a new business. The family led by the housewife will eagerly await the milk pouring out of the pot once it is well boiled.

While the mother is busy in the kitchen preparing kiribath for the first meal, the children will be anxiously waiting for the auspicious time for the first meal. They eagerly look forward to the ganu denu time knowing well that they would receive additional pocket money from their parents and brothers and sisters older to them. And they are happy they don't have to be bothered about denu (giving) – it's only ganu (taking or accepting) in their case. They get away because they don't earn.

Clad in blue, at the auspicious time of 2.51 in the afternoon, the family members will first indulge in the veda alleema (taking part in the first activity for the New Year) facing the South. Those going to school would read a paragraph from a text book and write a few lines, the elders would read the Jataka Potha or any other Buddhist text. The males will also use the mammoty to till the soil or the knife to cut a branch indicating the start of the work they are used to. In today's context many will turn on the computer.

Before sitting at the avurudu mese – table full of goodies made for avurudu, the younger ones will offer betel to the elders and seek pardon for any naughty things they have done throughout the previous year. The process really starts with the mother worshipping the father, the head of the family.

She herself would receive a token cash gift from the husband which she would preserve for use for a meritorious activity. She then sits by the husband to receive the betel from the children. They would come, one by one, offer betel, fall at their feet and worship them. They would get a warm hug and some cash in return. The older children who are doing jobs would bring gifts to the parents.
By now the table with kiribath, kevum and other special preparations for avurudu is ready. Family members sit together to enjoy the first meal for the New Year with the mother feeding the first piece of kiribath to the young ones.

It's fun time after the meal when children will start playing with the neighbours. For the boys it's vala cadju (game using cadjunuts) or eta bola (marbles). The girls would prefer to get to the swing and enjoy themselves singing 'onchili vaaram.' The youth would take part in traditional team games which bring a festive mood in the village.

The elders, in the meantime, transact business with their associates. These generally take the form of exchanging money between parties who are considered lucky.

The ceremony of anointing oil on the head happens the next day – April 15, at 8.21 in the morning facing the South.

Customary visits by relations take place during the period between the New Year day and the oil ceremony.

The 'avurudu' period ends when those in employment take off at the auspicious time to start work. This year the time has been fixed for 6.11 in the morning on Thursday, April 19.

Uncle Dee Cee