By Shelton Gunaratne ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚© 2010

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In Sri Lanka, the Aluth Avurudda arrives Wednesday (14 April) exactly at 6.58 a.m., according to astrologers.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Sri Lanka is in the same time zone as India, where different ethnic groups are already celebrating the same New Year under different names. Converting to Central Daylight Time, the Aluth Avurudda in the Midwest arrives Tuesday (13 April) at 8.28 p.m.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Going eastwards, the New Year would arrive later depending on the longitudinal position of a country: at 7.58 a.m. in Myanmar, at 8.28 a.m. in Thailand, western Indonesia, and Vietnam; 9.28 a.m. in Malaysia and Singapore; and 11.28 a.m. in Sydney, eastern Australia. In countries west of the Indian subcontinent, the New Year has already arrived.

The significant auspicious times associated with the 2010 Aluth Avurudda are listed below in Sri Lanka time (with CDT equivalent time in parentheses. Sri Lankans living in the U.S. Midwest will find this list useful if they want to adhere to authentic New Year practices:

• Punyakala starts six hours and 24 minutes before the dawn of New Year and ends six hours and 24 minutes after the dawn of New Year. So the nonagathe in Sri Lanka starts at 12:34 a.m., 14 April (=2.04 p.m., CDT, 13 April) and ends atƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 1:22 p.m., 14 April (=2.52 a.m., CDT, 14 April).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The first portion of the PunyakalaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ is allocated for religious rituals and the second part is for traditions (e.g. preparing meals. starting transactions, etc.
• The Aluth Avurudda begins at 6.58 a.m., 14 April (=8.28 p.m., CDT, April 13)
• The auspicious time for preparing the New YearƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s auspicious food of kiribath with ghee and undu seeds is 7.01 a.m., 14 April (= 8.31 p.m., CDT, 13 April) keeping in mind the yearƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s auspicious direction (north) and the yearƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s auspicious color for clothing (light green)
• The auspicious time for starting work, transacting business and eating the first meal is 9.07 a.m., 14 April (=10.37 p.m., CDT, 13 April).
• Keep in mind the nonagathe (neutral period), the astrological time-gap between the end of the old year and the beginning of the new. Devote this period for spiritual activities and avoid any material pursuits

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The New Year provides the occasion to forget and forgive. Younger members of the family kneel before the older members to ask for forgiveness and blessings.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  For both children and adults, the New YearƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Day is for play and enjoying the best of traditional foods.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The New Year marks the time that the sun famously left the constellation of Pisces to enter the zone of Aries thereby signaling the onset of another year. It is this event, the vernal equinox associated with spring, that most of South and Southeast AsiansƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬‚predominantly Hindus and BuddhistsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬‚celebrate this week, with an array of names and different customs that can boggle oneƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s mind.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In India, different ethnic groups have shaped the New Year to suit their own customs and needs. Thus the Sri Lankan AluthƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Avurudda turns out to be Puthandu or Varusha Pirappu in Tamilnadu; Mahabishuba Sankranti (incorporating Hanuman Jayanthi) in Orissa; Vishu in Kerala; Pohela Boishakh in Bengal; and Rongali Bihu in Assam.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ However, not all Hindus celebrate the New Year on the same day in mid-April. Some celebrate different dates in March or April based on the lunar calendar: Yugadi in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka; Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra; Bestu Varas in Gujarat, which follows the Vikram lunar calendar, Navreh in Kashmir; and Cheti Chand of the Sindhis who celebrate their New Year one day after Yugadi and Gudi Padwa. (See table below)

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Because of the Buddhist cultural connections, Southeast Asians in Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, all of whom use the lunar calendar to coincide with the vernal equinox, also celebrate their New Year in mid-April. For them, the dawn of the New Year (noted for their unique water festivals) could happen on any of three days from April 13 to 15.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The New Year that East Asians celebrate always precedes that of South Asia.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Chinese New YearƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬‚just as the Korean Seollal, the Mongolian Tsagaan Sar, the Vietnamese Tet, and the Tibetan and Bhutanese LosarƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬‚occurs between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20 on the second new moon after the winter solstice in accordance with the Chinese lunar-solar calendar. And the celebrations go on for 15 days.

Diverse Names and Dates for New Year in Asia

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

(The writer is professor of mass communications emeritus at Minnesota State University Moorhead.)