A response to pseudo Hindus who oppose Thai first as Thamil New Year
April 17th, 2008
by V.Thangavelu, President Thamil Creative Writers Association
Opposition has been voiced by a small bunch of individuals who are Hindus against the change in the birth of Thamil New Year. They claim the change is against tradition and borders on blasphemy. Such people are superficial and naive in many ways.
The opposition can be seen as an ad hominies argument you cannot fault an argument, so you fault the person advancing it. In this instance Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi! He is reviled by Hindu bigots like Thuglak Chow, Ramagopalan, Ela Ganesan (BJP) Ms Jayalalithaa (ADMK MLAs voted for the bill) and few others as anti-Hindu.
Strangely, the editor of the TamilNet website in his myopic arrogance and ignorance also joined the anti-nationalist force to whip up frenzy against the change. Thus making a mockery of the decision of the de facto state of Thamil Eelam that endorsed Thai first as Thamil New Year!
The Thamil Nadu government gave legal status to the observation of Thai first (January 14th) as the beginning of Thamil New Year which will be called Thiruvalluvar Aandu. In an unprecedented act of solidarity, the bill was unanimously passed by the TN State legislature.
The accusation the TN government has arbitrarily and suddenly made the change in regard to the New Year is not supported by facts. Only half-baked illiterates do so. Thamils need a continuous year count like the Christians or Muslims. They need to discard foreign culture and beliefs imposed on them under the guise of religion. Way back in 1921 Thamil scholars like Maraimalai Adikal, Naavalar Somasundera Bharathiyaar, Prof. Parithimaakalaignar (Prof. Sooriya Narayana Shastri) K.Subramaniyapillai, Thiru V.Kalyanasundera Mudaliyar, Saivait scholar Sachchithanadapillai, Naavalar Na.Mu. Venkadasamy, K.R.P.Visvanatham and scores of others met at Pachchayappan College and resolved to make Thai first Thamil New year instead of Chiththirai. In order to have a continuous year count the birth day of Thiruvalluvar was taken as falling on Thai (Suravam) first. This was given effect by the TN government in 1971 in official calendars, from 1972 in gazettes and from 1981 in all departments. Later it was extended to non-governmental departments as well.
In the Indian civil calendar, the initial epoch is the Saka Era, a traditional era of Indian chronology that is said to have begun with King Salivahana’s accession to the throne and is also the reference for most astronomical works in Sanskrit literature written after 500 AD. In the Saka calendar, the year 2002 AD is 1925.
The other popular epoch is the Vikram era that is believed to have begun with the coronation of King Vikramaditya. The year 2002 AD corresponds to 2060 in this system.
The Calendar Reform Committee set up India’s present day national calendar in 1957. It is a lunisolar calendar, which has leap years coinciding with the leap years of the Gregorian calendar. The months in the calendar have been named after the conventional Indian months. This calendar came into effect with the Saka Era in Chaitra 1, 1879 (March 22, 1957).
Although we don’t have direct evidence of Thiruvalluvarr’s birth day, this day has been chosen with reference to available (indirect data) from Sangam and post-Sangam Thamil literature.
The opposition to the change in the Thamil New Year from Chiththirai to Thai mostly emanates due to a lack of proper understanding of astronomy. Added is the natural tendency to resist change.
The Earth has three types of motions: motion around its axis, motion around the Sun, and motion of its axis due to wobbling of Earth. The Earth rotates around its axis in 24 hours, which causes day and night. In the Northern Hemisphere we see that all but one of the stars and planets rise in the east and set in the west. The one star that does not rise or set is the polar star (Dhruv Nadchchathiram or Polaris), which is located directly above the Earth’s North Pole. The Earth is tilted 23.5 degrees on the plane of orbit around the Sun. This causes changes of seasons during the year. The seasonal changes have nothing to do with star or planets as widely believed by Astrologers and Almanac casters.
The second type of motion is the rotation of the Earth around the Sun in 365 days to complete one revolution in an elliptical orbit. Using modern instruments for exact observations of the universe, the Earth takes 365 days, 6 hours, 9 minutes and 9.50 seconds to complete one revolution with respect to the stars (sidereal year). With respect to the orbit, it takes 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 45.50 seconds to complete one revolution (tropical year). The difference in time is 20 minutes and 24.00 seconds as follows:
Solar year,
365
d.
5
h.
48
m.
45.50
s.
Sidereal year,
365
6
9
9.50
Difference,
20
m.
24.00
s.
This difference is caused by the third type of motion of Earth, the wobbling of its axis, which astronomers call processional movement (precession of equinoxes) of the pole or axis of the Earth.
The ancient Thamils lived in close touch with nature. Astronomy and astrology very much influenced their lives. With regard to the year, the Thamils started it with the Vernal Equinox. Astronomers have determined the sun transiting Aries at 0 degree as the Vernal Equinox, that is the day when the sun rose exactly in the east, coincided. This was about the year 285AD. With the lapse of centuries, the New Year falls now, about three weeks after the Vernal Equinox. The Hindu solar year is sidereal, and since it is in excess of the tropical year by 20 minutes and 24.00 seconds, it does not keep step with the seasons. The seasons fall back one and half days for every hundred years or one day every 71.6 years.
It is not correct to say that Chiththirai has always been the beginning of Thamil New Year. Nachchinarkiniyar who wrote a commentary to Tholkaappiyam says Thamil New Year started in August (Aavani) and ended in July (Aadi). This demonstrates the fact that Aeries (Medam) is not the start of the reference point in the Zodiac during Tholkappiyar’s time.
The Thamils/Hindus divided the year into “Uttarayanam” the first six months after the winter solstice and “Dhadshanyam” the second six months after the summer solstice. The former was considered health-giving, bright period for man and animals for during that period the days became longer and longer. Thus “Uttarayanam” was celebrated by Thaipongal and Paddippongal (the cattle festival). Most of the temple festivals in the Thamil country were also fixed for this bright period. The beginning of the “Dhadshanayam” was marked by “Adipirapoo” (July 1-Hindu calendar). These six months were considered not a very bright period for men and animals because the days became shorter and shorter.
One of the major drawbacks in counting Chiththirai is that it is not a continuous year. Its cycle consists of 60 years. This cycle of years is useless to record historical events. And their (so are some of the months) names are not Thamil. They are in Sanskrit. The mythological story attached to the birth of the years is extremely vulgar and obscene. As usual with Hindu mythologies a perverted mind must have invented the story.
A close look at the six seasons given in Thamil literature reveals that they are out of sync with the actual seasons experienced at the equator.
Ilavenil Kaalam : mild sunny period : Chithirai, Vahasi - Thingal
(mid April to mid June)
Muthuvenil Kaalam : intense sunny period : Aani, Aadi - Thingal
(mid June to mid August)
Kaar Kaalam : cloudy rainy Period : Aavani, Purataasi - Thingal
(mid August to mid October)
Kuthir Kaalam - cold period : Iyppassi, Kaarthihai - Thingal
(mid October to mid December)
Munpani Kaalam - early misty period (evening dew): Maarkali, Thai Thingal
(mid December to mid February)
Pinpani Kaalam - late misty period (morning dew): Maasi, Panguni Thingal
(mid February to mid April)
Definitely Mid June to mid-August is not the rainy season in Northeast of Ceylon or Thamil Nadu. They are in fact hot and humid months. The rainy season is from October to November (Iyppasi to Kaarthikai) and not from mid August to mid October.
The coolest months are December - January (Maarkali - Thai). It is in January (Thai) the farmer harvest the first sheaves of a harvest. They are grinded and mixed with old rice and used for Pongal. The actual harvest season does not take place in January. It takes place in February and March. This is due to change in seasons due to precession.
January 14th too has astronomical significance, in that, the Sun (Earth) commences its Northerly transit.
In fact there are four (not three) transits of significance by the Sun in its journey from south to north and north to south. They are:
Winter Equinox-March 20/21
Summer Solstice-June 21
Autumn Equinox-December 22
Spring Equinox-March 20/21
This is true only in regard to the Northern hemisphere. It will be the exact opposite of those living in the Southern hemisphere. When it is summer in the Northern hemisphere, it is winter in the Southern hemisphere. So in regard to spring and autumn.
As already mentioned, the arrivals of the seasons have been changing at the rate of 1 degree per 71.6 years. Westerners found spring coming earlier (March 10) than the Julian calendar showed viz March 21. To adjust the extra days Pope Gregory ordered the deletion of 10 days i.e. October 5th was followed up with October 15th. The Gregorian calendar still has a few seconds difference. But the calendar can hold good fairly accurately for the next 1000 years!
Due to the precession of the equinox, the Sun will be at the 1st degree of Libra at the spring equinox in 11,232 years! Those who think that almanacs and calendars are cast in iron should mark their calendars! The zodiac of the two systems (Tropical and Sidereal) will be exactly opposite one another! Ayanamsha will be 180 degrees 0 minutes!! It would be interesting to those who oppose Thamil New Year shifted to Thai first to incarnate at that time just to join in the debate!
In Vedic or Sidereal astrology the calculation of the Sun passing through the 1st degree of Aries is marked by the Sun actually passing through the observable fixed stars making up the constellation Aries and has nothing to do with the seasons. Because of the precession of equinoxes at a rate of 50.26 seconds per year, .difference between the tropical zodiac and sidereal zodiac increases every 10 years by 8 minutes 22 arc seconds.
The Thamil/Hindu calendar has gone awry and no correction was made for precession of equinoxes. This is the reason why the real seasons are not synchronizing with months mentioned above. Poet Subramanian Bharathiyar has pointed out this discrepancy in one of his essays.
Those who claim that Chiththirai New Year ushers in Spring (Venil) has to re-think. It really falls on March 21st! A good 24 days earlier. So are all the Hindu auspices festival and ceremonial days.
The “wobble” and the precession of the equinoxes were known to the Ancient Egyptians, although the first official “discovery” of it was made by an Ancient Greek astronomer, Hipparchus, who was born sometime around 190 B.C. It was noted because the Sun was in a slightly earlier position at the time of the Spring Equinox each year (as measured against the fixed stars). Because the movement slips backwards (Westwards) through the zodiac, it is called precession (as opposed to a forward-movement which would be called progression).
Now 1 every 71.6 years doesn’t sound like too much, but it certainly adds up over 2,000 years or so, and this is where we get into the different Zodiac systems.
The determination of Thai first as Thamil New Year is now a fait accompali. One cannot unscramble a scrambled egg! History is heavily stacked against intellectually discreditable individuals for they live in the past!
The change of Thamil New Year has not altered or modified the Panchangam or Thamil Almanac as some foolishly think or argue. What has changed is the reference point (in a circle any point could be considered the reference point) in the Zodiac. Instead of Aeries 0 degree being considered the birth of Thamil New Year, the reference point has been shifted to Makaram 0 degree the birth of Thamil New Year!
There is reference in Thamil Sangam literature to the celebration of Thai Neeradal, but there is absolutely no reference to Chiththirai New Year in ancient literature!
The shifting of Thamil New Year from Chiththirai first to Thai first is a milestone in the history of Thamils.
Entry Filed under: transCurrents Commentary
19 Comments Add your own
1. Raj | April 17th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
who cares about new year?
Is this very important right now?
2. Hanuman | April 17th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
If you say so.
3. sanju | April 17th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
and what do da thamil christians hav to say bout dis pongal new year???
we are very interested.
4. aratai | April 17th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Maybe this is the power an Indian State Chief Minister has, to change city name, change new year date etc.
These Chief Ministes have no power to do anything when their brethern is killed in Lanka or Malaysia or Karnataka.
5. anpu | April 17th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
SELECTED EXTRACTS from Mr. Thangavelu’s own very detailed submission as to why we should NOT bother with changing the Tamil New Year (Holiday).
1. One of the major drawbacks in counting Chiththirai is that it is not a continuous year. Its cycle consists of 60 years. This cycle of years is useless to record historical events.
-This is five times that of the Chinese Lunar Year cycles. Several societies have different New Year commencement date. The one that is universally accepted and useful calendar system for continuous counting is the current version of the Gregorian Calendar. Then everyone will understand when a time period that is referenced.
-Thiruvalluvar period can continue to be used for continuous year recording. If we look at our seminal periods in our lifetime itself we are using the Gregorian calendar, and it is the right way. For example, if one say that colonial era in Ceylon commenced with the arrival Portuguese in 1505, then everyone will understand pretty quickly.
2. Thus making a mockery of the decision of the de facto state of Thamil Eelam that endorsed Thai first as Thamil New Year!
-Anyone can revisit an issue; TamilNet is right. It is better to correct an error at early period.
-Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister CN Annadurai once illustrated (on the imposition of Hindi in the South) that if we need to go from Madras (Chennai) to New Delhi, then we could use the same plane that travels all the way to London. No particular advantage in buying one for New Delhi and another one for London. Thus English language became the bridge between the North and the South shortly after India’s independence. This principle is applicable in many instances.
3. The change of Thamil New Year has not altered or modified the Panchangam or Thamil Almanac as some foolishly think or argue. What has changed is the reference point (in a circle any point could be considered the reference point) in the Zodiac.
-Absolutely. Any point can be a reference point. And in deference to our past in last millennium period, let us keep the harmless tradition as is, and it has a basis as well. There is no particular advantage at all in implementing Karunanithy’s idea.
4. A close look at the six seasons given in Thamil literature reveals that they are out of sync with the actual seasons experienced at the equator. (a) Ilavenil Kaalam : mild sunny period : Chithirai, Vaihasi-Thingal (mid April to mid June)
-This is why we SHOULD keep the mid April birth of the Tamil New Year (holiday)! Imagine celebrating Tamil New Year in Canada in January.
Thank God for our forefathers’ foresight.
6. Devinda Fernando | April 17th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
LOL Tamil Communalism knows No bounds!
Karunanidhi, has only a political agenda to change the Tamil New year to January… to head one step closer to Separation from India… and you get these Other Donkeys like this writer to Spin it in favor of Mr. Chief Minister of Nadu!
LOL I can’t stop gut laughing to see this split occur. All I can say is you Communalists will kill your own people and change your own traditions in a futile attempt to get your own Racially pure Homeland. Nothing, including your Language, Culture, or Ethnicity will be held Sacred… At the end of the Day when you do get your own land (perhaps in Tamil Nadu) what will be left of the so-called Tamil Identity for you to even justify your own land with? You will be a Nation ruled by Souless Opportunistic Donkey Politicians…
7. David | April 18th, 2008 at 2:10 am
Thangavelu’s highly contentious points have been refuted in another column in this very website. The article by Dharman Dharmaratnam has several comments that tear apart Thangavelu.
http://transcurrents.com/tamiliana/archives/616
Tamils in Sri Lanka and India have opted to ignore Karunanidhi. The Tamil New Year is not on Thai Pongal. It is in April.
http://www.mumbainews.net/story/348227
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEH20080414092151&Title=Top+Stories&Topic=0&
Thangavelu, if one were to read this article, can be described as anti-Hindu. He speaks for no one except the Tamil extremists - most of whom live outside Sri Lanka. Each of his points can be deconstructed as erroneous.
8. kurikaatuwan | April 18th, 2008 at 6:04 am
True, LTTE’s all eat beef. During the recent kidnapping spree of young boys and girls they have captured a young priest and forced him to undego arms training. When he refused and ran away. They have made him to work in their kitchen to cut beef as punishment.
This is total sacrilege of our culture by these monsters . We tamils have to wipe them out ourselves instead of Singhalese bretheren
9. Murugan | April 18th, 2008 at 6:19 am
Chennai ponders over whether to celebrate Tamil New Year in the month of April or the month of January, while
Kilinochchi calculates whether the Sri Lankan Army will try to advance through the A-32 to Pooneryn or will try to use the A-34 to advance through Oddisuddaan
10. raj | April 18th, 2008 at 6:54 am
DF(#6). Applies to SL now .. ” a Nation ruled by Souless Opportunistic Politicians? ” You know your country better.
11. Agnikkunchu | April 18th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
“…..Only half-baked illiterates do so. Thamils need a continuous year count like the Christians or Muslims. They need to discard foreign culture and beliefs imposed on them ……”
Copied from above
Dear Mr. Thangavelu
Is Thamil a religion like Chritianity and Islam
or
Are Christianity and Islam languges like Thamil
Who is half baked illiterate then!!???
12. Mandy | April 19th, 2008 at 12:10 am
My god where are these people heading?? does this attempt reflect a typical mind of a Tamil? why are they fighting so hard to be different while their own tamils are suffering from war, hunger etc. similar type of thinking by elite has given birth to utter destructor called VP. do you people need any more? sickening
13. kurikaatuwan | April 19th, 2008 at 3:12 am
yeah as a tamil I dont understand what these LTTE and Dravida movement are talking about.
We tamils look the same as Indians,
we follow Indian culture if we look at the basics
We are just another type of people in the diverse land called Indian subcontinent.
The people who go on about how we Tamils are the most superior race and have had hinduism imposed upon us by Aryans are full of nonsense and are only looking to destroy our race.
Hinduism is not about one doctrine, it is diverse and all encompassing
Last time I looked in the mirror I saw basically an Indian looking face even though I’m from Northern Sri Lanka.
And look at the retard Prabhakaran who says he’s the sun god and has even banned Diwali because he says Ravan was Tamil killed by the Indians.
14. Zona | April 19th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
(A close look at the six seasons given in Thamil literature reveals that they are out of sync with the actual seasons experienced at the equator.)
Or maybe the seasons themselves were similar to what they have described. Do you think that our forefathers and great kings were so foolish to describe the seasons as they were not actually experienced?
15. Zona | April 19th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
(Thamils need a continuous year count like the Christians or Muslims. They need to discard foreign culture and beliefs imposed on them under the guise of religion.)
So what becomes of the Christians & Muslims who are Tamil and in plenty in Tamilnadu? Now who is confusing religion with Language? Thangavelu or the “Hindu bigots”
More than the calender it is Thangavelu who is out of sync with rest of the world that is progressing towards more cultural integration brought about by economic integration and internet driven interactive possibilities.
(Opposition has been voiced by a small bunch of individuals who are Hindus against the change in the birth of Thamil New Year. They claim the change is against tradition and borders on blasphemy. Such people are superficial and naive in many ways.)
As though the whole state of Tamilnadu was craving and surging in unison to change the New Year.
It is another small bunch of archaic individuals who have nothing better to do other than indulge in trivial negative cultural related past times with the sole objective of projecting themselves as the sole custodians of Tamil culture and literature, who have successfully through their political crookedness kept huge masses of people socially backward in the name of culture.
They have resulted in another group of moral policemen who use every occasion to trumpet their depravity in the name of culture. Glorification of poverty has resulted in a culture that thinks regional and insists on promoting a regional identity or the lack of it.
There should at least have been healthy public debates with opinions, views, data and interpretation from various Tamils around the world before such a major culturally significant decision was taken. If the absence of it was not superficial, then what is and who is naive? In fact in a democratic state, the entire issue should have been informed comprehensively to the public and a referendum held.
I think the people of Tamilnadu should go back and learn history from its great leaders like Raja Raja Cholan and Rajendra Cholan who had a world vision and new how to think big and and act big and not bother with the current bunch of leaders and such equally naive persons who would oppose anything that has a link to anyone outside their frame of cultural reference.
16. Zona | April 20th, 2008 at 8:57 am
I found an interesting response to this terrible New Year change in another popular Indian discussion board. I am copying the content without permission from the site or the person who has posted -
IT IS MY DUTY TO WARN ALL THE FRIENDS HERE THAT PLEASE
DO NOT GET CARRIED AWAY BY THE FALSE PROPAGANDA
VIGOROUSLY DONE BY THIS POST OF Mr. V.Thangavelu
THIS POST OF Mr. V.Thangavelu DOES CONTAIN MANY VALUABLE SCIENTIFIC FACTS BUT ALSO CONTAINS SERIOUS ERRORS - WHICH WILL MAKE US
TO TAKE POSITIONS AGAINST CHITHTHIRAI TAMIL NEW YEAR.
IF THESE ERRORS ARE WANTEDLY DONE TO GLORIFY THE NEW
NEW YEAR DECISION, THEN THIS CAN BE THE BIGGEST SIN IN
THE UNIVERSE.
USING FALSE SCIENTIFIC INTERPRETATIONS A FALSE
DECISION IS GLORIFIED BY MANY AND EVEN EDUCATED PEOPLE
FALL PREY FOR THESE FALSE PROPAGANDA.
REAL FACTS:
(1) For the people living in the northern hemisphere
of the earth.
(Most of the world population lives in the northern
hemisphere.
We are in the northern hemisphere.)
DAY WILL BE LONGER FROM MARCH22 TO SEPTEMBER 22
(from Spring Equinox to Autumn Equinox)
July 22 has the longest day time and December 22 has
the shortest day time.
Please See:
http://www.uwsp. edu/geo/faculty/ ritter/geog101/
textbook/ energy/earth_ sun_relations_ seasons.html
THIS POST OF Mr. V.Thangavelu. SAYS THE EXACTLY
OPPOSITE AS TRUTH AND DERIVES MUCH SUPPORT FOR THE NEW
NEW YEAR CONCEPT.
(2) The explanation given for drifting of the equinox
is based on accurate celestial data available now as
against ancient data. But whatever drifting is said
for Chiththirai 1 is applicable for Thai 1 also. These
dates are exactly three months apart. How can we fix
Thai 1 as Uththiraayanam without accounting for the
three weeks drifting (which actually occurs on
December 22 nowadays and not on Jan 14) and count the
drifting only for Chiththirai 1?
BEWARE OF PEOPLE WHO APPLY MILK FOR ONE EYE AND
CHUNNAAMBU FOR THE OTHER EYE.
(3)THIS POST OF Mr. V.Thangavelu SAYS:
////There is reference in Thamil Sangam literature to
the celebration of Thai Neeradal, but there is
absolutely no reference to Chiththirai New Year in
ancient literature! ////
A TOTAL FAULT!
Iravatham Mahadevan mentioned that Chiththirai 1 as
new year is in accordance with Tamil marabu.
Thai neeraadal is mentioned as neeraadal. Not as
newyear. But the six seasons of Tamilnadu with
applicable months were formulated by ancient
literature. This is the real Tamil culture and these
seasons are relevant even today. The first season is
ILaveanil and belongs to the months of Mid April and
to Mid June, Chiththirai and Vaikaasi.
These six seasons are in the hearts of Tamil folks
including me. The four seasons of English or of the
North India never comes to my mind and also for almost
all Tamil folks.
So Thai 1 as year beginning is against our ancient six
season culture as this splits one season into
two(munpani) . We will have one munmunpani and one
pinmunpani. Who wants to open a year in an half-split
season?
AND STILL THERE ARE MORE REASONS TO HAVE CHITHTHIRAI
AS OUR NEW YEAR DAY.
sn
17. a sl voter | April 21st, 2008 at 7:51 am
1. Thai 1 is considered as harvest festival - a festival of the farmers. Not all Tamils are farmers.
2. Thai Pongal is a festival honoring Sun. Muslims and Christians do not accept it as they do not consider Sun as a living being. According to their faith there is only one God. All other things are created ones.
3. Interestingly, Saiva-ism which is practiced in North East too accepts only one God. I find it difficult to accept that it is part of their festival too.
18. villa | April 21st, 2008 at 3:18 pm
New Year need not have a religious or national flavour. It has no religious or historical significance. It is only a measure of time. A day does not appear any different from another. Starting a year by a specific day is only for convenience to communicate with others.
January 1st is internationally used and not only Tamils but all races Singhalese, Chinese, Persians etc should give up their traditions and take on this day as the New Year.
19. Krisha | April 26th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Karunanithy could do well if he can solve, with his influence over the Central Government, the Kaveri, Okanekal, Mullai Periyaru, Palaru and many other important isues in Taminadu rather than diverting the attention away from it. Can he order all the Christian & Muslim Tamilians to celebrate Thai Pongal as their New Year. Is there any proof that Thiru Valluvar was borne in Thai 14th or even in the month of Thai. Then hardly you can call it a Thiruvalluvar year. One day T.M.K.Kanimozhi(then Chief Minister or Central Cabinet Minister) may promalgate that everybody in the drought Tamil Nadu should celebrate January 1st as their New Year to solve all their problems and people like V.T would write excellent articles in support of that too.
Leave a Comment
Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed