Chithirai 1, the first day of Chithirai Month, which falls on April 14, is observed as Tamil New Year – Puthandu for thousands of years. The previous DMK – led government in Tamil Nadu 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 2008. The current AIADMK government has now reversed the decision.
The previous DMK government argument for changing the New Year was...
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.
The present AIADMK government has reversed the 2008 decision stating that it did not take into account the sentiments of people.
People are not bothered about such legislations and decisions of the government, as they have been observing both Thai Pongal and Chithirai 1. They continue to perform pujas and rituals on both days.
The Hindu reports
The move followed a public demand that the New Year be reverted to ‘Chithirai’, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa said in the Assembly, while accusing the previous DMK government of not taking it into account the “sentiments and opinion” of the people while effecting the change in 2008.
Ms. Jayalalithaa claimed the Tamil New Year had all along being celebrated in the month of ‘Chithirai’ and the previous regime had changed the system which was in vogue for many years with the sole intention of gaining “publicity.”
Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Minister S.P. Shanmuganathan moved a resolution seeking to revert the New Year to Chithirai in the Tamil calendar.