image source, Getty Images
- author, Ranjan Arunprasad
- position, For BBC Tamil
The people of Sri Lanka, who faced various crises in the past, are celebrating Tamil Sinhala Chitrai New Year this time after three years.
In Sri Lanka, the Tamil Sinhala New Year, 2019 has finally come to an end.
Since 2020, the global corona epidemic has completely paralyzed the people of Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka’s first corona patient was identified in March 2020.
Subsequently, a nationwide shutdown was announced in mid-March 2020 to control the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
Subsequently, due to the spread of Corona in the years 2020 and 2021, there was a situation where it was not possible to celebrate any festivals including Chitrai New Year as usual.
However, despite the corona situation being brought under control in 2022, people celebrated Chitrai New Year on the streets last year.
As Sri Lanka faced economic setbacks, people took to the streets last year to protest against the rulers.
Like never before in the history of Sri Lanka, people celebrated Chitrai New Year in the streets.
In this situation, the people of Sri Lanka, who have recovered from the Corona and economic crisis, are celebrating Chitrai New Year very critically this time.
It has been seen that more and more people are engaged in the purchase of goods in urban and rural areas of the country.
A large number of people were engaged in shopping activities in the streets and commercial centers like buying clothes, buying essential items, buying gold ornaments.
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What are traders saying about New Year’s trading?
BBC Tamil asked Marvin Alvis, a trader who was involved in selling traditional pottery around the Chitrai New Year period.
Compared to past seasons, he says business is down considerably this year.
He points out that business has fallen by about 50 percent.
He said that there was no massive increase in the prices of the goods and even so, the business has declined.
BBC Tamil asked Ravi, who sells fruit at the Colombo-Pikulambu junction.
“We didn’t do business last year. This year is okay. It is somewhat manageable. All the materials are easily available,” said Ravi.
However, consumers say that prices of commodities have increased sharply this year compared to previous years.
Do you know how Sri Lankan Tamils celebrate Chitrai New Year?
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The Sinhalese also celebrate the New Year on the same day as they join the Tamils in Sri Lanka.
13th of April is considered as the old year. On the next day, on the 14th, early in the morning, it is customary to welcome the New Year by drinking milk in the houses, performing prayers in the houses and lighting firecrackers.
After that, it is customary to bathe in Maruthu water on the 14th at dawn, during Vishu Punniya. Famous Sri Lankan author Murugan Sivalingam told BBC Tamil that people who kiss their age and give blessings to the younger ones with medicinal water.
It is customary to infuse the water with herbs such as various flowers, various leaves, arugula, turmeric, and milk.
After that, they go to the temples and perform worship and get the blessings of the elders.
Later, relatives, neighbors and friends all come together to celebrate the New Year by eating sweets and playing games.
Sri Lankans have a tradition of giving handouts.
Although various types of competitive games such as teak breaking, bald tree climbing, kilittu, elephant eye, swinging, knuckle breaking, head wrestling were played in Sri Lanka in the past, those games are now rarely played.
Currently Sri Lankan Tamils are celebrating the New Year by wearing new clothes, going to temples and cooking food at home.
Author Murugan Sivalingam notes that although it was earlier called the birth of the Tamil-Sinhala New Year, it is now being called by some as the Hindu-Sinhala Purunal.
He also says that some of the Tamils who followed the Hindu religion started following other religions and got the name of Tamil-Sinhala New Year and Hindu-Sinhala New Year.
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