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Showing posts from September 23, 2008


Change of Tamil New Year from the First Day of Chithirai to First of Thai legal, says Tamil Nadu High Court

The present Tamil Nadu State Government had changed the Tamil New Year from the first day of the Tamil month of Chithirai (mid-April) to first of Thai (mid-January) through legislation in the beginning of year 2008. This was challenged in the court and now the High Court has given its verdict that there is no unconstitutionality or illegality in changing the Tamil New Year to Thai first day, which is also the Pongal day . The decision to change the New Year date by the state government is based on a decision made in 1922 when over 500 scholars, led by Maraimalai Adigal, founder of the Thani Tamil Iyakkam (Pure Tamil Movement) met at Pachaiyappa’s college in Chennai and decided that Tamils needed a separate calendar in the name of Tamil savant Tiruvalluvar. They also determined that the birth year of Tiruvalluvar was 31 BC. This was accepted in 1971 by the then Tamil Nadu Government headed by M Karunanidhi. Giving its approval to the change of Tamil New Year day the court made