Happy Puthandu to all Tamils |14 April 2022

This year Tamils around the world celebrate their New Year today, April 14 which is also known as Tamil Puthandu.

On this auspicious day, people wear new clothes and visit the temples. In some parts of Tamil Nadu, the festival is also called ‘Chittirai Vishu’.

Puthandu, according to the Hindu luni solar calendar, is the first day of the traditional Tamil New Year. Interestingly, along with Tamils across the world, many other Indian communities also celebrate their traditional New Year around the same time — Vishu in Kerala, Bihu for those in Assam, Baishakhi in Punjab, and Pohela Boishakh in West Bengal. The prayer offerings include three fruits — mango, jackfruit and banana — money in the form of coins, gold or silver jewellery, a mirror, flowers, betel leaves and areca nuts. Rangolis called kolams are drawn using rice flour on the home entrances.

One of the star dishes on the menu is mangai-pachadi, made with raw mango, sweet jaggery, red chillies, neem leaves and a stringent mustard. An interesting metaphorical explanation behind the explosive flavours of the dish is that it is much like life that comes packed with different experiences ‒ sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty.

Happy Puthandu to all Tamils particularly our Seychellois of Tamil origins!

Compiled by Vidya Gappy