New Year rites and auspicious times
The astrologer plays a key role in the new near or avurudu festival.
It is he who calculates the time the year ends and another begins, and
all the auspicious times (‘nekath’) for the rites, and informs the
public well in advance.
In the past when there weren’t the means of communicating news, what
we call the ‘media’ today, people went to the local astrologer to find
out the ‘nekath’.
During the time of the last kings of Lanka, when Senkadagala, now
Kandy was the capital, the Avurudu Mangallaya was one of the four great
festivals in the country.
The court astrologer brought the ‘Nekath Patraya’ - the table of
auspicious times to the palace and presented it to the king.
An officer of the court whose duty was to make public announcements,
read out the ‘nekath patraya’, and the information was carried by others
to the countryside, where people were eagerly waiting for this
information. Even today people await the announcements made through
newspapers, television or on the radio.
Sighting of the New Moon
The auspicious time to see the new moon for the coming Lunar year is
April 10 and Solar year will be on Thursday, May 8.
Bathing for the old year
This should be done on Thursday, April 12.
Dawn of the New Year
The New Year dawns at 6.29 p.m. on Saturday, April 13.
Punya Kalaya (time for religious activities
The period between 12.05 p.m. on Sunday,April 13 and 12.53 a.m. on
Sunday, April 13 is deemed to be the Punya Kalaya or Nonagathaya. It is
advised to give up all work before 12.05 p.m. on the 13th and engage in
religious activities such as visiting the temple.
Lighting the hearth and cooking the first meal
The custom of lighting the hearth falls at the auspicious time of
6.54 p.m. on Sunday, April 13.Lighting the hearth should be done wearing
red and yellow mixed clothes and facing the south.
Commencement of work, first transaction and consumption of the first
meal
The first meal should be consumed at 8.10 p.m. on Sunday, April 13,
wearing red and yellow mix clothes and facing the south after commencing
work and other transactions at the same time.
Anointing oil
It is advisable to anoint the nanu on the head at 7.42 a.m. on
Wednesday, April 16, while standing on kolon leaves with kohomba leaves
hanging over one's head, wearing greenish/yellow clothes.
Leaving home for work
The auspicious time to leave home for work falls at 6.19 a.m. on
Thursday, April 17.
The lucky colour
The auspicious colour depends on which day the New Year dawns. This
year it is copper. Each day has a presiding planet and each planet has a
special colour.(The ancients considered the Sun and Moon planets); they
still are in astrology.
Today being Sunday - Sun’s day - the colour is copper.
These are the colours special to each planet and therefore the lucky
colour for the 7 days of the week.
Sunday - copper
Monday - pearl (white)
Tuesday - red
Wednesday - green
Thursday - gold
Friday - multi-colour
Saturday - dark blue
Courtesy: Subasetha
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