Puthandu 2023: Know Date, Significance, Rituals & Celebrations of Tamil New Year

Puthandu will be celebrated on 14 April. Know the significance, rituals and how to celebrate the festival

Puthandu 2023 date, significance and rituals

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Puthandu is an auspicious festivals of the Tamils and it is an important celebration in Tamil Nadu. The people celebrate it with great enthusiasm and passion. To be very specific, this festival is celebrated on the first day of the Tamil month called Chitterai, which serves as the Tamil New Year. Thus this festival also marks the beginning of new year. As per the Tamil Calendar, if the Sankranti falls between sunrise and sunset, that day is celebrated as New Year's Day but when it occurs after sunset, the next day is celebrated as Puthandu.

It is quite obvious by now that Puthandu holds great significance among Tamil people and people also believe that it is a day when Lord Indra descended to earth to ensure peace and serenity and that Lord Brahma initiated the establishment of the universe. Now let's know the date, significance, rituals and how the festival is celebrated.

Puthandu 2023: Date

Tamil New Year, Puthandu will be celebrated on 14 April 2023.

Puthandu 2023: How to Celebrate?

Tamilians celebrate Puthandu with grandeur and pomp. Tamilians all over the country celebrate the festival to begin their new year with their loved ones. This is the day people look forward to in order to spend time with their friends and family.

Elders give gifts or cash to the children and the people visit temples to seek the blessings of the God. They also offer prayers to their Kul Devta and Kul Devi. Some Tamilian families perform holy rituals like Tharpanam for their departed ancestors' salvation. Overall, the day is celebrated with gratitude, seeking blessings from God.

Besides mango pachadi and pongal, people prepare various lip-smacking dishes like vadai, sambhar, sadam (rice), payasam, appalam (papad), vegetable curry, fresh mango pickle and curd.

Puthandu 2023: Significance

Puthandu celebrations marks the beginning of Chithirai, the first month of the solar calendar. This day is observed as a public holiday in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Other states also observe new Year on this day with different names like West Bengal celebrates Poyla Boishakh, Kerala celebrates Vishu, Punjal celebrates Baisakhi and Assan celebrates Bihu on this day.

Puthandu 2023: Rituals

• Firstly, people begin the day by making kolam– designs made of coloured rice flour at the entrance of the house.

• Then people also prepare Puthandu-special dishes like pongal and mango pachadi is the regular dish.

• Some people sing devotional songs to invite prosperity and happiness into their homes.

• People also visit the temple to seek the blessings of Kul Devta and Kul Devi.

• Later in the day, people come together dressed in their traditional attires and enjoy the Puthandu-special spread with their friends and family.

• The celebration of Puthandu is an opportunity for Tamils to offer thanks for the past year and to look forward to the new year with hope and optimism.

• One of the main traditions associated with Puthandu is the 'Kanni' or the first sight of the year. It is believed that the first thing a person sees on the morning of Puthandu sets the tone for the rest of the year. Therefore, Tamilians wake up early in the morning, take a shower and look at things like gold, silver, fruits, flowers, and a mirror, as a symbol of good luck.