Chennai, April 14 (IANS) Tamil Nadu heralded "Dunmuki" - the Tamil New Year - Thursday with traditional fervour with people visiting temples in the morning.
"Puthandu Vazthukkal" (New Year greetings) is how friends and relatives greeted one another in the morning in person or over the phone. The Tamil New Year is celebrated on the first day of Tamil month Chithirai, which normally falls on April 13 or 14 every year.
"We got up early and went to the nearby temple which was crowded because of Tamil New Year," J.Muralidharan a resident of Mylapore in south Chennai told IANS.
The houses are decorated with kolam (rangoli) outside the front door. Mango leaf streamers adorned the door frames.
All the popular temples here - Kapaleeswarar Temple, Sri Parthasarathy Temple and others - were crowded with people since morning. At big temples, the almanac for the New Year was read.
At home, Tamilians feasted on dishes like vada and payasam (sweet dish) and other savouries were being prepared.
The special dish of the day is the 'Mango Pachidi' made with neem flowers, jaggery, mango, green chilli, salt and tamarind juice representing the six major emotions that humans experience.
Tamils in Sri Lanka, Malaysia and other places also celebrate the New Year on the first day of Chithirai.
