Vipulasena residents celebrate New Year on grand scale

By Carol Aloysius

The New Year came early for Vipulasena residents. Known for their great hospitality and love for fun and games, the residents began their preparations weeks before as usual.

This year, as in previous years, their first task was to appoint an organising committee which they grandly named, “Vipulasena's Avurudu New Year Committee.”

Pancha, my neighbour was appointed as the chief organiser. It was a unanimous choice based entirely on the very efficient manner in which he had organised last year’s festivities. Pancha of course was as proud as a peacock and at once, put a notice up across his door announcing the fact.

His first task was to visit the residents. These house calls involved a great deal of leg work as Pancha made it a point to visit every single house down all the bylanes and sidewalks. He insisted that no matter how old or young the residents were, each of them could be a volunteer in the festivities.

He told them it was not just a festival, but a national event where rituals and traditions passed on for generations were re-enacted and it was their duty to see that these were passed on to the younger generation who needed to be educated about them.

Traditions

Since the present generation did not know much about these traditions he decided that this year he would transform Vipulasena into a real gama (village), to the extent of introducing a threshing floor (kamatha) and little mud huts in the playground nearby where the festivities would take place. It was here that the contests he had lined up would also take place.

Being the methodical person, he took his task seriously. The children were tasked with minor duties such as making an assortment of decorations and oil lamps. The elderly were asked to help with the more complicated décor. They were also instructed to jot down some traditional games of the past which could be played by young and old alike.

In the case of women, he told them that since cooking was their forte, they should make arrangements to turn out dozens of sweetmeats for those participating in the celebrations, as well as the spectators.

Invitations to the festivities were sent by Pancha to all those in the neighbourhood and beyond, including the beggar colony living nearby , which were gladly accepted. The offer of free food and day-long festivities to enliven one’s otherwise boring day was too hard for anyone to resist.

Activity

A fortnight before the national New Year dawned, Vipulasena became a hive of activity. Houses were cleaned, dusted, mopped, swept, and gardens cleared of leaves and garbage.

At Pancha’s insistence, each house was whitewashed and floors were polished. New curtains hung on every window and doorway. Being a national New Year, all Hindu homes had mango leaves hanging on the doorways and every house displayed a colourful kolam outside. Oil lamps burned brightly vying with the myriad bucket lanterns while sewing machines worked overtime to provide new clothes for the residents.

The New Year exploded at the auspicious time of 1.29 this morning with a burst of crackers and the skies filled with colourful fireworks the like of which we had never seen in recent years. Milk overflowed from new pots on freshly lit hearths after the Nonagatha period ended at 7.53 a.m., and the women folk made themselves busy cooking the traditional first meal of kiribath to their families and guests.

The first meal was partaken at 7.05 with the family facing the south, wearing the auspicious colours of red and yellow.

Members exchanged money as a symbol of the first financial transactions for the year, while youngsters pranced around showing off their new clothes as women called attention to themselves in their colourful sarees and kambayas.

Once everyone had eaten to his heart’s content, it was time for Pancha to begin the exciting contests he had lined up for everyone. The first was for the title of the Avurudu Kumari and Avurudu Kumaraya. Winsome Prema and Saras were chosen from the two communities as the Avurudu Kumaris while the title for the two Avurudu Kumarayas went to Nihal and Siva . Next it was the title of the Most Talented Person.

This went to Nimal, who could very realistically mew like a cat, moo like a cow, bark like a dog and bray like a donkey, putting legendary Kukul Charlie in the shade. Kopi Kade Sarath won the trophy for the ‘Most Hospitable Resident’ which came as no surprise since all of us had at one time or another enjoyed his free banis and tea.

Weightlifter Dias won the ‘Mr. Physique’ contest, while cycling enthusiast Armugam easily outraced the rest to his nail biting finish, his victory being greeted by a loud roar and whistles from the spectators.

Cart race

Next it was time for the real fun and games. The first of these was a tug-of-war with men, women, and children taking part. A separate slow running race was held for the elderly folk who thoroughly enjoyed themselves even though a few of them stumbled, but managed to pick themselves up, so determined were they to reach the winning post.

A cart race drawn by bulls caused some concern when one of the bulls stumbled through exhaustion overturning the cart. Fortunately, no one was hurt. The raban contest in which several women displayed their musical skills had the crowd swaying and dancing the baila.For children it was a kite making contest. Soon the skies of Vipulasena were filled with kites of all shapes and sizes, frightening the birds especially the crows away. This was followed by blind man’s buff and pora pol.

The final contest was choosing the Avurudu Kumari and Kumaraya. Since it was the Sinhala and Hindu New Year, Pancha with his sense of fairness, selected two of each from the two groups to forge ethnic harmony. “ This is what we need to promote at this time of the year”, he told us. Comely Anula and Sarojini were jointly crowned the Avurudu kumaris, while handsome Nihal and Siva were crowned the Avurudu Kumarayas.

The local Grama Seva Niladhari, a priest from the kovil and a Bhikkhu from the temple nearby were given the honour of crowning them.

All in all, it was one of the most memorable Avurudu celebrations in a long time, the Vipulasena residents told an elated Pancha, presenting him with a trophy for ‘The Best Organiser of Aluth Avurudu Festivities’ which he has displayed prominently with his other treasured souvenirs ‘of achievements’.