All the festivals that we celebrate are part of the ancient knowledge and tradition handed over to us by our ancestors. They also signify the rich cultural heritage of this land.
Puthaandu/Tamil New Year marks the first day of the first month (Chithirai) of the Hindu Tamil calendar that is based on the solar cycle. While certain politicians and ideologues may try to distort this fact, there is enough evidence in ancient Tamil literature that the first day of the Chithirai month marks the beginning of a new year.
“திண்ணிலை மருப்பின் ஆடு தலையாக விண்ணூர்பு திரிதரும் வீங்கு செலல் மண்டிலம்”
“Thinnilai Marruppin Aadu Thalaiyaaga Vinnurpu Thiritharum Veengu Sella Mandilam”
The above quote by Nakkeerar, a famous Tamil poet of the Sangam age, notes that the world runs with the goat (Mesha rasi / Aries) as the first sign.
Not only in this Sangam song, many ancient Tamil songs that are about the astronomical predictions and changes in position of planets and starts.
Kudalur Kizhar is another poet of the Sangam era whose poems are part of the Kurunthogai (166, 167, 214) and Purananuru (229). In the poem in Purananuru, where he predicts the death of Chera ruler Yanaikatchei Mantharanj Cheral Irumborai (62-42 BC), he mentions Chithirai month and Mesha rasi.
In essence, the first month of the year is the month of Chithirai during spring when the Sun enters Mesha (Aries) zodiac sign. The year ends with the month of Panguni when the sun comes up in Pisces. This is the solar calendar that is followed across the country while there are many communities in different states that follows the lunar calendar.
The commencement of the new year is celebrated as Vishu in Kerala, Rongali Bihu in Assam, Pohela Boisakh in Bengal, Bishuva Sankranti in Odisha, Jud Sheetal in parts of Bihar, etc. Not just in India, even countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Bali, Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka, Thailand, etc also celebrate this festival.
So, Puthandu is not a day that can be changed to the whims and fancies of a bunch of politicians and their stooges to peddle their nonsensical agenda. No matter how hard the inimical forces might try to delink Hinduism with Tamil culture, they will fail miserably.
(This write up is based on Sundar Raja Cholan‘s Facebook Post in Tamil)
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