The Tamil New Year was celebrated on the 14th of April. Tamil is the major language of two states in India, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. It is also a major language in Sri Lanka. Lots of Tamil speaking communities live in Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. The Tamil people follow the solar calendar, and the new year is on the first day of the month “Chitirai”, which would be close to the 13-14 of April in the Georgian calender. (Tamilcanadian.com)
On Tamil New Year, the “puja” began with a “homa” to the Sun god. Lots of dairy products which included ghee, milk, and yogurt were poured into the “homa” fire. There were also many devotees who chose to give sari’s, small pieces of jewelery(both gold and silver) and long leaf like grass into the “homa”. There were two priests who were robed in “Dhoti’s” which were saffron. They also had the white thread that signified they were Brahmin. These priests were constantly chanting verses from veda’s and ended with a “swaha” after every recitation. When they said “Swaha” they poured the dairy products, or water, or threw flowers and offerings into the fire pit.
When I asked one of the devotees why this even was being held, they told me that the New Year marks the beginning of harvest season. This puja/homa was conducted in order to please the Surya Bhagvan for the blessings he has bestowed on the people and their harvest. She also said that in India, this festival is celebrated over the course of three days. On the first day, the people pray to the sun god. On the second day the prayers are offered to the rain god for the water it has provided the farmers. On the third day animals they graze the field and help in tilling the field are worshiped. They are decorated in colorful clothes and a red paint (kumkum) is appied to their foreheads along with turmuric (haldi) and a sandlewood paste called “chandan”. The woman also said that lots of food is made during these three days, and there exists a special book which a mother gives to her daughter during the time of marriage that instructs the woman what she should make on each specified day. The book also tells one what pujas must be performed at the home shrine.
The temple atmosphere was relaxed and people were chanting, talking and watching the homa. Everyone was dressed in their very best clothes as someone said that on this day people should wear new clothes. Later on there was a luncheon for all those who had come where someone explained to me that the food on that day must consist of all four flavors of the pallet. The sweet, the sour, the trat and the bitter. She told me that was how one’s life and experiences throughout the year was explained through the food on the beginning of the year.
The major differences from what I noticed by both talking to people at the temple was that it was now fit into one day so everyone might come and visit. Sometimes people said that if the New Year feel on a weekday, the homa would take place on the weekend so that everyone who wanted to come, could easily come and spend the say in prayer and immerse themselves in community without missing work. So this adaptation of changing the days was the only major difference.
Thanks to its colonial past and laidback lifestyle, Pondicherry has a special ambience quite unlike any other city. The French influence combined with the local Tamil culture make for a charming mix. In the “French Quarter” many street names are displayed in both French and Tamil on a characteristic blue enamel board. The broad stone paved roads and colonial buildings of the ”French Quarter” take you back in time to a more tranquil era.