Avurudu celebrations half a century ago

By Carol Aloysius

It was the melodious mating call of the koha (Asian Koel) mingling with the sweet chirping of mynahs, sparrows and our feathered visitors from cooler climes, that woke me this Avurudu morning.

Like many other Avurudu mornings I had experienced in my long span of life, I step out into the garden awash with dew to breathe in the fragrant perfume of jasmine, araliya mal, frangipani and bougainvillea of our tree-laded garden.

The bright red erabudu flowers blooming in the majestic tree planted by my father many years ago, dazzles my eyes.

The air is thick with the heavy scent of ripened jak scattered on the ground from a tree I planted as a child, when our parents encouraged us to plant a new tree for every Avurudu. No wonder our garden has so many trees and flowers - from leafy vegetables to karapincha, from billing fruits to guava, jak, lime, lemons, avocado, and jambu, from coconuts to thambili and even pepper vines that spilt their seeds come Avurudu time. These familiar scents and sights evoke a host of nostalgic memories. Time stands still as I embark on my journey recalling Avurudu celebrations of more than half a century ago...

Auspicious

Then, as now, we would wait for the auspicious time for the celebrations to begin, clutching the crackers and fireworks ready to be lit at precisely the time set according to the movement of the planets.

Guided only an heirloom of a bygone era - the large clock hanging on our dining room wall, we would wait for the official announcement over our ancient radio by the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.

No sooner the announcement was made, we would then dash out to be the first to light our fireworks ahead of the neighbouring children.

The women in the house including my mother would rush to the kitchen hearth. These kitchen hearths, rarely seen these days, were placed under a large vent (chimney) that allowed the smoke to the garden outside.

Hearths played an important role in the Avurudu celebrations. Days before the New Year, women folk would prepare the sweetmeats. As they fried, steamed, and cooked, the air would be thick with smoke and filled with the pungent aroma of spices.

On New Year's day, the hearth was where the first meal for the day was cooked.

As they lit the fire and started cooking the traditional Avurudu meal of kiribath, our mothers would also keep a watchful eye on the new clay pot filled with fresh milk simmering on the fire till the contents spilled over... This, according to them, was a signal of prosperity in the new year.

The meal would begin with the entire family sharing a piece of newly cooked kiribath, which took pride of place in every home.

This would be eaten with the hot katta sambol, seeni sambol, haal messa curry, egg curry and dhal.

A variety of traditional sweetmeats would then be placed on the table; konde kavum, munkavum and kavums of different shapes, sizes and filling, kokis, aasme, aggala, kaludodol, and sweets - coconut rock, milk toffee and jaggery toffee.

In Hindu homes they would serve pookei (a kind of milk rice full of raisins and nuts, vade, murukku, thosai, idli and mani pittu.

While the curries would be mostly vegetable cooked in a variety of flavours and methods. No one who came to our houses went away hungry during the Avurudda.

At the doorway to every Hindu home would be exquisitely drawn designs (kolam) made of coloured coconut refuse or flour or else waste material, and every archway had a bunch of banana leaves tied to it- symbols of prosperity and good luck.

Games

For us children it was the Avurudu games that interested us most. As girls, the Avurudu sellam (New year games) we enjoyed playing most was Hop Scotch and swinging on the large swing our father had tied to a strong branch of a tree at the back of the garden. We also joined the boys in playing softball cricket and marbles, even taking part in some vigorous games such as badminton, sack races, lime and spoon races and tug of war.

Disappearing

When these time honoured customs and traditions began disappearing with time, our parents insisted on taking us down South where many of these customs had managed to survive in their original forms.

While we were there, we girls would join girls of our age in swinging contests which we thoroughly enjoyed. I well remember the sight of two girls occupying a single swing, one standing and the other sitting while another girl pushed the swing from below, singing Avurudu gathas, and having the time of their lives...

Nor were the elders forgotten. One New Year spent in a rustic village at Moneragala, I watched with fascination a group of women, some quite old and seemingly feeble, taking part in a raban contest.

At a signal given them, the women (four of them sitting around each rabana) began beating the drum with their hands vigorously while singing kavi to the beat.

The winner was able to replicate the beat of her opponent giving her own version, and earned herself the coveted prize of 200 rupees and a towel, then considered a lottery win!

There were other games in which everyone was encouraged to take part. Some of them were climbing the greasy pole and pora pol (a game where the contestant from one side threw a coconut to the opposite side in an effort to crack the nut in mid air.)

Others included chak gudu, volley ball, pillow fighting and cycle races... The most awaited event was of course the selection of the Avurudu Kumari and Kumaraya.

According to ancient belief, (both in India and in Sri Lanka), at the New Year a new deity called Avurudu Kumaraya took charge of nature.

In some parts of Sri Lanka, we were told, they even make an altar with tender coconut palms for this deity, while in other areas specially in the South, a lamp is lit for the Avurudu Kumaraya.

No sooner the winners chosen from several hopeful young females and males were announced we would cheer them with wild clapping and whistling as they were escorted to a stage to be crowned and showered with gifts.

Fancy dress

The grand finale was the fancy dress competition where all of us, including even our parents took part.

It is heartening to see that these ancient customs and traditions in danger of extinction today, are now being revived by various organisations including several business establishments and hotels, one leading Colombo hotel even creating a typical Mada gedera complete with thatched roof, encouraging guests to sit on the floor and partake their traditional new year fare.

This year's New Year came early for us. Our cricketing champions' victory at the World T20 tournament final against India saw people from all ethnic groups setting the skies ablaze with fireworks and dancing on the streets to celebrate the nation's golden moment of triumph in cricketing history. Inspired by this historical win it seems a new spirit of unity has been injected into this year's Avurudu celebrations.

As New Year falls tomorrow we can only hope that the same spirit of unity that made our nation celebrate our the cricketing victory, will strengthen with the passing years.

Then our country will truly become ‘One Sri Lanka, One Nation'.