'Avurudda' comes but once a year. 'Avurudu'
celebrated in traditional style is at our doorstep once again. It's a busy time for everyone at home. Father is getting the house and garden cleaned up. The house invariably gets a new coat of paint. Mother is busy getting the
'avurudu kevili' – the sweetmeats ready.
She has done her
shopping early. She has picked the clothes in the recommended 'avurudu' colour. (Green is this year's colour.) She has to stitch them in time for the New Year – a sarong for the father, a frock for the daughter, a sarong for the son and a cloth for herself. The kitchen staff is not
forgotten either – chintz for the females and sarongs for the males.
Father may insist on everyone taking the final bath for the old year. The astrologers have fixed the date – it's Monday the 12th this year.
Avurudu dawns at
6.58 in the morning on Wednesday the 14th. Mother will clean up the hearth the previous evening and have the
utensils ready to cook the first meal for the New Year. She has bought new clay pots and pans for it.
At 7.01 in the morning, she will recite the stanzas invoking the blessings of the Buddha, Dhamma and the Sangha before lighting the hearth facing north clad in green wishing for a prosperous year. It is
customary to boil a pot full of milk symbolizing
prosperity. She will use a new clay pot and await the milk overflowing before getting ready to cook the
traditional kiribath for the New Year.
She will also lay the table with the variety of sweetmeats she had
prepared –' konda kevum', 'kokis', 'aasmi' and 'mung kevum' for sure plus a comb of 'kolikuttu'
plantains.
The father, in the
meantime will get ready for the first task for the New Year. He will have a
mammoty ready to till the soil and a knife to cut a small branch – both
symbolic gestures. He will also have a piece of paper in readiness to write a few words and a book to read a few lines.
He will not forget change money
to use as
'ganu denu'.
Once her kitchen chores are over, the mother will ensure that the 'bulath
hurulla' is ready for herself and the young ones to offer to the elders.
Knowing the eagerness of the children, she will check their gifts and make sure that what she had bought in addition to the new clothes for them to wear for the New Year are packed and ready.
She will also have her own change money for
'ganu denu'.
Kiribath along with 'katta sambol' and 'seeni sambol' are served to the table before the auspicious time for the family to sit for the first meal. Before that, would be the start of work for the New Year and
'ganu denu'.
The specified time this year is 9.07 facing north, when the family will observe 'pan sil', indulge in their tasks, exchange gifts and sit for the meal. Following the practice of the parents, the children will invariably read a book, write a few letters and then wait anxiously for their gifts.
Paying obeisance to the elders begins. The mother starts by offering the betel along with a gift to the father and asking for
pardon in case she had failed in her duties through the past year.
The father reciprocates by insisting that she
attended to the family work diligently throughout the year and there is no cause to ask for forgiveness. He does the first 'ganu denu' with her which, in a way is only 'denu' when he gives her some cash which she will spend on meritorious work during the year while putting aside some cash for an emergency.
It's now the turn of the children to offer betel to the parents, ask for pardon for the naughty things they did over the months and await the gifts, particularly the cash they would receive as pocket money.
The family then sits for the first meal.
With the 'punya kaalaya' – time devoted for
meritorious deeds – being operative until 1.22 in the afternoon, the family will go to the temple, offer flowers and take part in devotional activities. They will meet the monks and offer them betel and pay their respects.
Thereafter, it's fun and games for the children with their friends.
They will also await the visits by family relatives. The table remains full of the 'avurudu' eats throughout the day.
The anointing of oil for the New Year is fixed for Thursday the 15th at 10.06 in the morning also facing north. It is customary for everyone to gather at the temple when the chief monk will apply the specially
prepared oil using herbs. If family members are unable to go to the temple, an
elderly person will collect the oil from the temple, bring it home and apply on everyone. |
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