Tamil New Year – in Chitthirai or Thai?

Tamil New Year – in Chitthirai or Thai?Written byJayasree SaranathanTamil New Year!The traditional day of Tamil New Year on the first dayof the entry of the sun into the month Chitthirai is challenged.The alternative that is given is the first day of Thai!The powers-that-be prefer to call the traditional chitthirai New Yearas Chitthirai-th-thirunaaL!This amuses me because the very name ‘Chitthirai-th-thirunaaL’ means New year!It is the tradition of Travancore kings to have their birth stars in their names.In fact, according to Dharma sastras such as Dharma sindhu,one must be given 3 names in a naming ceremonyconducted on 11th or 21st day after birth.One of them must be about the birth star,another on the solar month and the third a civil name for everyoneto call the person.It was common in those days to have a name on the birth staror starting with letters indicated by one’s birth star.There was a king called Swathi thirunaaL whose compositions are popular eventoday.He was known as Swathi –thirunaaL because his birth star was swathi.If some one is born in the star Chitthirai,he can have his name as Chitthirai thirunaaL!If we call the first day of Chitthirai as ‘Chitthirai thirunaaL’,

then it means that it was the birth day!The birth day of the Year ahead!The only irony is that there is no Chitthirai star on the first day of Chitthiraimonth!The name Chitthirai is because the Full moon occurs in Chitthirai star in thatmonth.For those doubting Thomases who think that the names such as Chitthiraiare not connected with Tamil, here is a piece of information from Choodamaninigandu.The month is known as 'Madhi' or 'ThingaL' in Tamil,because of the connection of Moon or Chandran(Madhi' and 'ThingaL are Tamil words for moon)From Madhi, the Tamil name "maadham" is derived.The month is named after the star in which the moon becomes Full (pournami).If we say ‘chitthirai’ maadham’ it means there is Full moonin the star Chitthirai in that month.Like this names were given for others months.(Here is the link for the name- derivatives of other Tamil months as given byParamacharyal of Kanchihttp://www.kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part6/chap13.htm ) Maadham is that which aids in the evolution of natural forces."BhoothangaLukku pariNaamatthai seivathu".The names of maadham (month) are unique for Tamil, in thatthey indicate the nature of ritu or 'paruvam' or season and their changes.The uniqueness of traditional knowledge is thatmoon is not the only indicator of months and seasons

The sun also plays a vital role in indicating months and seasonsin addition to doing time keeping.Having understood this cosmic principle, our ancients followedwhat is called the Luni-solar calendar,combining the movements of both the moon and the sun.Hindu Calendars are made as per rules laid down in Siddhanthas.There are 18 Siddhanthas, of which Surya siddhantha is the oldest.No one can ever say its antiquity.The Calendars also come under the same category.They are based on Universal truth, conceived at a time in antiquityand handed down the generations, but are written in local languages.The Siddhantic literature is a part of the 3 segments of Jyothisha or astrology,known as GaNitha Skanda.This is based on calculation in astronomy and planetary systems and the measuringof time.Measurement of time is possible or done only on the basis of the movement of theSun.Surya siddhatha has listed 9 types of measurement of time (maana),of Brahma (kalpa), of the Gods, of the fathers (pitrus), of Prajapathi(manvanthra),of Jupiter (Brihaspathya maana), of solar, civil (saavana maana), lunar andsidreal time.Of these only 4 are for practical use for humans, says this Siddhantha.They are Solar (sauramaana),Lunar (chandramaana)civil (saavana maana)and sidreal (nakshthra maana).Based on these only calendars are made and New Year is fixed.Of these the two calendars,one based on moon and another based on sun (Luni-solar calendar)are in popular use for Hindus in different parts of the globe.The Solar calendar commences on the entry of the sun in the first zodiac sign,called Aries.The lunar calendar commences on the day after New moon just before the sun entersthe first zodiac.All these are based on sound rationale.They have been conceived by sages who have had no barrier of race, language orregion.The rationale is universal like the laws of Nature.They have been conceived for the benefit of mankind.The rationale is that Chitthirai marks the birth month of the world, of ouruniverse!