Erabadu mal pottu pottu - Avuruddath kittu kittu
This popular Sinhala verse announces the arrival of the Sinhala 'avurudda'. The 'erabadu' flowers are in bloom by April. So are the yellow 'ehela' flowers.
And then there is the 'koha' (cuckoo) whose
constant sharp voice from the early part of April is yet another signal that the dawn of 'avurudda' is
pretty close.
Of course, the elders at home do not wait for these signals. They know exactly when to begin the process – clearing the garden around the house, a coat of paint to the 'maha gedara',
collecting the half ripe bananas and ensuring that they are ripe by 'avurudu' day – these are the duties of the 'chief' – the elderly male or 'lamayiunge thaththa', as the father of the children is referred to by the mother.
The mother too has a long list. In fact, the bulk of the preparations are in her hand. Buying the clothes for the family members and the domestic staff in the designated colour,
getting them stitched and ready before the auspicious day, giving a facelift to the kitchen area, cleaning up the utensils and preparing the necessary
paraphernalia for the preparation of the
traditional goodies – these are the priorities in her list.
The list of these
goodies – 'avurudu rasa kevili' is pretty long. At least three varieties of
' kevum' – konda kevum, athiraha, and mung kevum must adorn the 'avurudu mese' along with a host of other sweetmeats on the table. Kokis, aasmi, aggala, aluva, – the list can go on.
The dominant feature of 'avurudu' is that every activity is done at an
auspicious time. This year the 'nonagathe' - also known as 'punya kalaya' or the time when you are expected to stop all work and indulge in religious activities – begins at 6.37 in the morning of Thursday April 14 and ends at 7.25 in the evening. The main activities connected with 'avurudu' also take place towards the latter half of this period.
It is customary for everyone in the family to dress in new clothes for the 'avurudu'. The new year is very much associated with Buddhist customs for the Sinhalese just as much as the Tamil community
consider it as the Hindu new year and follow Hindu customs and rituals.
Clad in the new dresses, the family members go to temple together taking flowers to be offered at the 'budu-ge' (image house), bodhiya (the bo-tree
representing the tree under which the bodhisattva attained Enlightenment) and the dagoba where relics are enshrined. The father will not forget to take a sheaf of betel to be offered to the chief monk as a mark of respect and obtain his blessings for the new year.
The monk will chant 'seth pirith' , tie a 'pirith noola' on the right hand and offer some 'pirith vatura' to drink. The sheaf of betel is returned for each family member to offer it back to the monk and get his blessings. The ritual
follows.
Returning home from the temple, the mother will get ready to light the hearth for the first time in the new year and cook the first meal. The auspicious time to light the hearth
is at 1.06 in the afternoon clad in gold coloured clothes. The tradition is for the housewife to recite the stanzas taking refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and the Sangha – the Triple Gem. At the given time she will light the hearth facing north. It is customary to first boil a pot of milk and then the first meal which invariably is a 'kiribath'.
Meanwhile, the table is arranged with the other sweetmeats along with a few combs of well ripened bananas. The mother will see to it that the 'kiribath' along with a dish of 'seeni sambol' and another of 'lunu miris' are on the table before the auspicious time.
The partaking of the
first meal is preceded by
'ganu-denu', the exchange of gifts and a token act of starting work. Children are made to read a book and write a few letters while the elders themselves would read, and write and then dig the soil or cut a small branch of a tree to
symbolise starting work in the new year.
The stipulated time this year is 3.18 p.m also clad in gold-coloured clothing and facing north. Betel is offered by the young ones to the elders starting with the mother and the father. They would go down on their knees and worship the parents begging their forgiveness for being
disobedient at time
during the past year.
It is a fine gesture to see even the married children
coming over and offering betel to the parents which is a symbol of family unity and togetherness.
These values are
continued to this day in almost all the families.
The children invariably
get cash in addition to other gifts for the
'avurudda'. Once the
formalities are over, the entire family sits down for the first meal. The mother starts the process of
serving – first a piece of 'kiribath' to the father
followed by the rest.
No sooner the meal is over the children rush out to play. The mother re-arranges the table in preparation to entertain the visitors.
A cash transaction with a "lucky" individual outside the family is also an
accepted custom. This
happens when one of the persons comes over to the other's house after the
rituals are over at his home and exchange a little cash kept on a betel leaf.
The other person responds in similar fashion. Neither sees the amount offered but they both have general idea how much is exchanged. Thereafter they sit at the table and enjoy some refreshments.
Oil is applied on the head at an auspicious time for the new year. It's fixed for Saturday, April 16 at 7.41 in the morning facing south wearing blue
coloured clothing. Generally the male elders would walk to the temple and get the head monk to apply the oil chanting 'pirith'. They will bring back some oil and apply on the others.
The final auspicious time is to step out from home to go to work. This will happen on Monday, April 18 at 6.28 in the morning facing south clad in white. |
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