HAPPY NEW YEAR 5115

The Tamil calendar is a solar and sidereal Hindu Calendar used by Tamilians worldwide. Tamilians use this calendar for all cultural, religious and economic activities.

The Tamil New Year follows the Nirayanam (vernal equinox system) and generally falls on 14 April of the Gregorian year. Tropical vernal equinox fall around 22 March, and adding 23 degrees of trepidation or oscillation to it, we get the Hindu sidereal or Nirayana Mesha Sankranti (Sun's transition into nirayana Aries). 

Hence, the Tamil calendar begins on the same date in April which is observed by most traditional calendars of the rest of India - Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Odisha, Manipur, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh including in neighboring countries like Nepal and Bangladesh. Further the same is practiced by other predominantly Buddhist  countries namely Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Sri Lanka.

The 60-year cycle is an ancient system and is observed by most traditional calendars of India, and is related to 5 revolutions of Jupiter, or to 60-year orbit of Nakshatras (stars).

The current Tamil year starts on 14 April 2013, Kaliyuga 5115. 

The Hindu cosmological system is divided into 4 Yuga’s or Era’s:

1. Satya Yuga (Krita Yuga):- 1,728,000 Human years
2. Treta Yuga:- 1,296,000 Human years
3. Dwapara Yuga:- 864,000 Human years
4. Kali Yuga:- 432,000 Human years (5,115 years have passed; 426,885 years remain). Kaliyuga started in 3102 B.C. and CE 2013 corresponds to Kaliyuga year 5115

Once the current era ends, than a new cycle starts all over again. 

The days of the Tamil Calendar relates to the celestial bodies in the solar system: Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn, in that order.  And the week starts with Sunday.

The Tamil year, in keeping with the old Indic calendar, is divided into six seasons, each of which lasts two months which includes, Spring, Summer, Rain, Autumn, Early Winter and Late Winter.

The 60-year cycle of the Tamil calendar is common to North and South Indian traditional calendars, with identical name and sequence of years. In the current cycle this year would be the 27^th year, and known as the Vijaya year. After the completion of sixty years, the calendar starts all over again with the first year ie. the Prabhava year. This corresponds to the Hindu "century." 

The Vakya or Tirukannitha Panchangam (the traditional Tamil almanac) outlines this sequence. It is related to the position of the planets in the sky with respect to earth. It means that the two major planets Saturn (which takes 30 years to complete one cycle round the sun) and the Jupiter (which takes 12 years to complete one cycle round the Sun) comes to the same position after 60 years. 

The ancient Tamil almanac mentioned is used in the calculation of the earth’s age, as well as the age of mankind. According to this almanac earth is said to be over 300 million years since sedimentation occurred and mankind was to have appeared on earth, more than 18 million years ago.

For Tamilians the New Year brings in much hope for a better year ahead. Reflection and contemplation of the past year is important to set the course for the coming year. With clear and organized perspective the New Year is to be seen as an opportunity for establishing a meaningful future ahead.

To all who share this auspicious day, HAPPY NEW YEAR and to everyone else have a GREAT YEAR AHEAD.

OM…………. SHANTI……… SHANTI………. SHANTI………………