Ugadi and Tamil New Year

Ugadi and Tamil New Year
Sarvari   Year starts on 14th of April 2020 and the year has the unusual spectacle of people in lock down due to Corona.  Let our prayers on the New Year bring happiness and cheer and an early return to normalcy.

New Year in hindu calendar is based on lunar and solar cycles and is believed that the Creator Brahma had created the whole of the universe including the earth, at the time of creation on this day, and thus the night and the day, the week, the month, the year followed to have the calendar what we have at present.    The sixty year cycle of the years, which are uniquely named, are followed.     The year is called "Nandhana" and  as is the practice, people offer prayers and celebrate with gaiety to usher in new hope for the year to bring in happiness. The New Year of Ugadi heralds on 23rd March 2012 and Tamil new year on 13th April 2012. Ugadi is widely celebrated in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and the same day is observed as Gudi Padwa in Maharastra and "vishu" and tamil new year (Tamil puththandu) in Kerala and Tamilnadu respectively.   Vishu falls on 14th April 2012.  

People celebrate Ugadi, the new year, by taking oil bath, wearing new clothes, beautifying the house with rangolis, adorning the entrance of the house with mango leaves and the family tradition of having ugadi pachchidi.  Naturallly, as life presents both good and bad, the new year pachchidi also has all the tastes in them.

Ugadi pachchidi

Raw mangoes are cut into pieces and added to tamarind water and boiled till the mango pieces become tender.   Now jaggery is added and boiled again so as to melt and blend well.   Keep it aside.   In a pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds till splutter and add neem flower and fry till light brown.   Now add chilli powder and salt and mix well.   Add this neem flower tadka to the tamarind and mango mix.   Serve in small quantities as an accompaniment to the main course of food.   So one experiences the tastes of salty, spicy, tangy, sour, bitter and sweet.    

In Karnataka the pachchidi is known as Bevu Bella.   The Tamil New year generally falls on 13th or 14th of april, every year.    The tropical vernal equinox falls around 22nd March and adding 23 degrees of trepidationn or oscillation to it, we get the Nirayanam vernal equinox and  that is the Tamil New Year.  The people greet each other by wishing "Iniya Tamil PuththanduVazhththukkal".  The Mango pachchidi here is the equivalent of the Ugadi Pacchidi.   In Kerala, the Vishu this year is on 14th April and the tradition is to view the Vishukani, arranged in advance to view in the early morning of the new year.    Generally, vishu kani consists of Idol of Lord Krishna, Nilavillakku, raw rice, kanikonna flowers, betel leaves, arecnut, fruits, mirror, coins and cocoanut.     

The new year is celebrated during this period in other states also, in Maharashtra as Gudhi padwa, in northern states as Vaisaki etc.,

Updated
Ugadi this year is on 06 04 2019, Saturday. The Tamil new year is called as Vikari (விகாரி) and is on 14 04 2019.

Ugadi this year is on 18th March 2018, the Sunday and Tamil new year Vilambi is on 14th April 2018.  Ugadi on 08 04 2016 and Tamil New Year 14 04 2016. The new year is Hevilambi and Ugadi is on 29th March 2017 and tamil new year is on 14th April 2017.The ensuing Tamil New Year is Durmugi and is on 14 04 2016.  This year's Ugadi falls on 21st March 2015 and wish all of you a very happy Ugadi and the Tamil New year that comes is "Manmatha"

(This year's Ugadi falls on 31st March 2014 and wish all friends a happy Ugadi

WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR