Living traditions of the New Year

How Sinhalese celebrate Avurudhu

By Roshan Peiris

Yasa de Lanerolle, Public Relations Officer of Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike shared some of the interesting traditions that go to make the New Year memorable every year.

She records the preparations that went on at her home in Anuradhapura in the home of her fatherJinadasa Ralahamy's house.

"I remember most the nonagatha period when one could not read, sew or do any other work whatsoever. The pangs of hunger of childhood are still vivid in my mind specially with such tantalising aromas from the food that had been cooked." Yasa goes on to say there was "no question of trying to pilfer even the odd sweet and so to while away the time we all sat and sang songs."

For over two weeks before the New Year, Yasa recalls, the whole house was whitewashed and the floors scrubbed with pol kudu for in those days there were no floor polish and vacuum cleaners.

Then she says would begin the making of the very many sweets without which no affluent home is found.

Next the hearth was swept. That too at an auspicious time and the milk was boiled in a new pot facing whatever direction was decreed as being auspicious for that New Year.

The boiling of the milk she says "is no ordinary occurrence, it is watched with hawk like animation by elders for if the milk did not overflow all round the pot it was considered inauspicious." Such are the customs.

After the Kiributh or milk rice was made the pot of rice was again kept in a direction decreed by the litha or astrological chart for the New Year. The rice was cooked in a new pot , whenever possible with rice from ones own field.

Yasa said that the children seeing all the wonderful food laid out and hungry as ever were given only one mouthful each for next came the age old custom of worshipping the parents and elders in the house. Parents too blessed the children.

Yasa said, "we had two sets of new clothes then and even now we have the same custom whenever one can afford to. One set was for home wear and the other to be worn to the temple."

According to customs and traditions the pater familias gave a set of clothes to all dependants as well, and they too ate at table with the rest of the family true to the tradition.

The poor are never forgotten during the New Year, says Yasa. They were invited to the home and given food, dry fish, sugar, coconuts, rice and vegetables so that they too begin the New Year in an auspicious manner.

In most homes Yasa says there are huge bunches of ripe plantains hanging from which visitors and the poor help themselves as they wish.

Next all the elders who visit the home that day are given sheaves of betel and worshipped by the younger generation.

Next came the 'ganudenu' which is the exchange of money given and accepted to a person considered lucky. Often in rural areas at the same time a tree is planted, said Yasa, as a symbol of abundance and fruitfulness.

She says in the day of her father Jinadasa Ralahamy, the special oil with herbs was made "to anoint our heads at the auspicious time. Now too it is made at home whenever feasible."

Often she says some words are said and those anointed stood on leaves holding leaves in their hands. Often at this time crackers are lit but my father used to say "oya sadde navaththanna Yako."

Also the rabana which is found in most homes hung on the wall is taken down and played by the women in the home.

There is a song which is played on the rabana and sung which says, "eramudu mal pottu pottu, gei hamine kettu kettu". This means that while the eramudu flowers bloomed just before the New Year at the same time, the lady of the house became noticeably thinner due to extra work.

On Tuesday Sinhala Buddhist homes in particular will doubtless keep to these hallowed New Year traditions.

Pudhu varudam as the Hindus observe it

In her book Remembering Hindu Traditions, Sivanandini Duraiswamy writes on how Hindus observe the New Year.

Born to a traditional Hindu family Sivanandini is steeped in its customs and traditions. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree and a diploma in Carnatic music among other qualifications. She is also the Co-ordinating Secretary of Hindu Affairs to the minister of Buddha Sasana.

Sivanandini says all traditional practices such as the ritual bath, lighting of the hearth, exchange of Kaivishesham-the exchange of money are done to auspicious times.

People in every village and town whatever class they belong to await the New Year with eagerness. Days ahead, savouries and sweets are prepared and homes spruced up.

The Pudhu Varudam or New Year, marks the Hindu solar New Year beginning on the first of the Tamil month of Chittirai.

The traditional practices begin with a bath. Each member of the family is anointed with Maruthu Neer before the bath. Maruthu neer prepared by priests is a concoction of medicinal herbs, leaves, flowers, and saffron available only at the temples.

The herbs and flowers are lotus, pomegranate, tulasi, vilvam, aruham grass thitpili, suku, and peppers.

The ritual bath according to Sivanandini, signifies the outer purity making way for spiritual purity.

The mother specially prepares the threshold of the house for God Ganesha. Before sunrise she applies a layer of fresh cowdung in thick swirls on this spot and then draws the traditional Kolam- a design drawn with rice flour.

Next the effigy of God Ganesha the guardian deity of the home is made with fresh saffron with a strand of aruham grass in the centre. Then mango leaves are also tied across the beam of the main door.

Next the woman of the house places the poorna kumbam. This consists of a silver or brass pot of water on which is placed a coconut fringed with five to seven mango leaves.

The poorna kumbam is placed on a bed of rice grains which are strewn on a banana leaf. Next the brass lamps are placed on either side of the kumbam along with small brass or silver containers with holy ash and kumkum.

A tray of betel leaves arranged in a circular pattern and shavings of arecanut are also placed on this bed of leaves.

Sivanandini explained why the betel leaf is significant to Hindus.

The exchange of a sheaf of betel leaf is a vital factor in knitting together the various threads of a social fabric. It also binds family relationships, she said.

A tray of fruits and flowers are also placed next to the kumbam. This indicates prosperity and protects the household.

The guests, she says, are received at the entrance with offerings of Kumkum, sandalwood paste, arecanut and betel leaves all sprinkled with panneer.

Once the threshold is ready the hearth is lit, milk is boiled and pongal or sweetened milk rice prepared. This is offered to the Sun God as a form of thanksgiving.

Next the family gets together for prayers in the home. After prayers the father or the elder, with both hands gives each member of the family, 'Kaivisheshm' -money given with a few grains of rice, arecanut, lime, flower and vipoothi, Sandalwood paste and kumkum arranged on a sheaf of betel leaves is also given.

As the children receive this they go down on their knees to revere the parents.

This reverence by children has been a beautiful aspect of the Hindu culture Sivanandini says.

The mother gives the Kaivishesham to the father. This marks the first transaction of the New Year. It is considered to be an auspicious transaction and with it one looks forward to a New Year of plenty and prosperity.

This exchange, she says also emphasises the principle of the social obligation. Next, gifts are presented to all dependants of the household.

The family then goes to the temple with offerings of flowers, fruits, garlands of flowers, incense and milk.

This collective worship in the temple, she says, is considered important because it not only kindles devotion, but creates a sense of kinship for the New Year.

After the pooja many devotees are seen distributing food, money or clothing to the poor.

These ritualistic observances, says Sivanandini, cleanse the mind and heart of the people, strengthen the family unit and create a feeling of sharing and caring and finally renew religious fervour.

Starting work or studies in the New Year also generally adheres to these auspicious times strictly.

In the villages one can also see various sporting events like the cart race, climbing the greased pole and the Oonjal and indoor games like pallang kuli and thayam played on the New Year day.– RP

New Year: Bringing people together

By Dr. Daya Amarasekara

Festivals and celebrations are a national characteristic. All our norms and values are symbolized in these festivals, so much so that the Sinhalese have been called a "ceremonial people". The basic function of these celebrations was to bind the family unit along with the relations as a kindred group.

In Sri Lanka, we notice the patrimonial kinship group and within the family, the parents' role is very significantly symbolized. In this manner experiences gained, are shared and this is evident in two instances of ceremonies, life reformational festivals and social reformational festivals.

Life reformational festivals are closely linked with an individual's personal life like marriage, the attainment of puberty and also when a first meal is given to a newborn child.

In all these functions we notice an attempt to effect the integration of the family along with the kinship group.

Social reformational functions are not centred around a single family. Take for instance the New Year festival. In this the individual is significantly bound by a number of rituals. What is crucial here is the institution of family. The New Year is the year generated with the birth of the sun. With the end of one solar year, another solar year is begun. The motive behind this is the implicit trust placed in the Sun God. It is believed that the sun which gives sustenance to all beings on earth resumes its journey from Mesha Rashi to Meena Rashi and from Meena Rashi again it comes back to Mesha Rashi.

The belief is related to a drastic social reconstruction. During this time, the environment experiences a reawakening, the birth of spring.

In an agrarian society with the termination of the major harvest and when the produce is brought home many a change can be seen. The peasant wants to pay tribute to the Sun God for all the assistance given during the cultivation period. The peasant always assumes that this is the time when fortune smiles on him. Many celebrations are centred around this belief, like the festival of fresh rice (Aluth Sahal Mangallaya)

Secondly, this transformation can be seen as an occasion when the entire society is rejuvenated. With the kindling of the fireplace, this reconstruction takes place. Even the rice used for the preparation of milk-rice is fresh and new. The vessels utilized for cooking milk rice are new. New clothes, the attention to hair-cuts and shaving are all linked to this.

This rejuvenation begins with the nuclear family. Even sons and daughters living in distant places take the opportunity to come to their parents. Even those who have deserted the village and taken residence elsewhere, always think unfailingly about their village of birth. Another significant feature is the coming together of persons of diverse hierarchy. Masters and servants, landlords and labourers, teachers and pupils use this occasion to show their reverence and loyalty to each other.

The period after the completion of the old year and prior to the commencement of the new year is defined as "Nonagathaya" or "Punya Kalaya". This symbolizes how the individual prepares to utilize the new energy for the coming year. Obviously this is the time during which one expects to perform meritorious deeds. Folk-plays are also staged. In modern times these rituals have tended to disappear from our life, but the significance of the New Year has never lost its place in our social life.

The writer is attached to the Department of Sociology, University of Peradeniya.

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