In the Tamil calendar, the 13th April marks the Tamil and Sinhala New Year and the occasion is celebrated by the community in a very special way. It is believed that on this particular day Lord Brahma created the universe. 

Traditionally, new clothes are bought and worn and special food of all flavours are prepared to symbolise one’s path through life, covering all of its ups and downs. The family attends either the temple, Vihari or a church, having had herbal oil applied to the hair by the elder of the family and then washed in herbal water. There are rituals and blessings given in the temple along with Prasadam, food that has been blessed by the Hindu Gods. Following that, families return home for a meal which often includes eating from a banana leaf rather than a plate, a link back to Tamil culture. Gifts, in the form of money, are given to children by parents and grandparents making Tamil New Year very popular with the young. 

Wimbledon Shree Ganapathy Temple was a popular place to celebrate this year. The morning consisted of special prayers and rituals and then in the afternoon at precisely 4:34pm (the actual birth of the new year) more prayers were said followed by food and Prasadam. At 8pm everyone was treated to a cultural performance by the children of the Merton Tamil School, including a religious play. Children from 6 - 15 years of age took part and one smiling 12 year old was heard to say ‘it was great fun’ when asked how he had felt about it.  Mr Ashok Rajendran from the audience remarked how ‘thorough and professional’ the event was and he felt that it had ‘finished off the special day perfectly’.

Tradition dictates that houses are decorated with garlands and rangoli, a coloured powder, is used to form patterns outside of the house, some families here in the UK have brought this over here with them but in Sri Lanka or India it is beautiful to behold as everyone does it. 

Let us wish all Tamils and Sinhalese living here a very special and Happy New Year.