Different New Year Day in India
Every nation in the world has its New Year’s Day. A year is the time of the apparent revolution of the sun through the ecliptic; and a sidereal year is a time in which the sun, departing from any fixed star, returns to the same. The Hindu’s astronomical year is sidereal. He calls it Samratsaradi, the first day of the year or the Vishu -, Chaitravishu, the equinoctial point of Aries, into which the sun enters at the vernal equinox. This event generally falls on the 12th of April and is considered by the Hindus a Punaykala – or a holy occasion. So on New Year’s day, the Manes and Gods are propitiated by offerings of tarpana – oblations of water – and other allied ceremonies. In other respects, New Year’s Day is a day of feasting.
Though the astronomical Hindu year falls around the 12th of April, New Year’s Day is observed on different days by different sects of the Hindus, according to whether they follow the lunar, the luni – solar, or the solar calendar. The Tamils follow the solar, and their year is thus the sidereal year. The Telugus and the Kannadigas follow the Chandramana reckoning, and their year is lunisolar, which begins earlier than the 12th of April. The Malayalis follow the Tamils, through their Kollamandu – which is more an agricultural year – starts about the middle of September, when the sun enters the autumnal equinox.
On the New Day the elderly people – males and females – take a sacred bath in the holy rivers or the sea, whichever happens, to be nearest. The males propitiate the Manes and the deities; children appear in their holiday dress and jewels. The nearest temple is attended and the god in it is worshipped. In some families, children and other members receive new clothes. A sumptuous meal is cooked in every house and poor relatives are always cordially invited to this feast. In the evening time, the Panchanga or the Calendar of the New year is read out and expounded by a holy Brahman. Several people assemble to listen to this exposition. At the end of this ceremony, attar, pan supari, and sweets are distributed. Sometimes a short entertainment of music is also added to this ceremony. The whole day is spent more or less in mirth and festivity and a light supper closes the day’s proceedings.
In Malabar, The New Year’s Day festivities are observed on a very grand scale. On New Year’s eve all the good coins available in the house, all good jewels, all kinds of auspicious fruits and flowers, and everything considered to be good to look at are placed in the room set apart for the worship of the family god. The Karavan who is the head of the family first opens this room between 4 and 5 on New Year’s morn and worships with a lighted lamp in his hand all, these articles. Then every member of the house one after the other goes to the front of the room with their eyes shut and opens them at the proper spot to take a glimpse of the auspicious articles collected. The Karavan – head of the family – presents each with something or other, – coins, jewels, flowers, fruits, etc. This is the chief difference between the Malayalis and other Hindus as regards the observance of the New Year’s festivities. And every Hindu, whether a Malayali or other Hindu, takes care to see an auspicious sight on the New Year’s morn.
