Tamil New Year - A Timeless Saree Collection

The humbling sights of well-clad people prostrating in temples, the Jasmine-perfumed scents wafting through the Tamil Nadu air, and the all-around taste of Mango Pachadi are all typical characteristics of the most important day of Southern India – Tamil New Year.

Significance of Tamil New Year

Colloquially called Puthandu, Varusha Pirappu, and Vishu (in Kerala), the 14th of April is a huge cultural festival celebrated by Tamil people across the world. It kicks off the Tamil calendar year and is celebrated with a lot of fervour and gusto.

Most people believe that Tamil New Year is the day the Universe was created by Lord Brahma. Another faction believes that Indra, the king of the Devas descended upon the Earth on this day to spread peace and happiness among people.

Whatever their belief, Tamil people celebrate this day with a lot of feasting, praying and going without saying – dressing up! Tamil New Year also gives a jolt of confidence for businesspeople to start new endeavours that can bring them good fortune.

Tamil Customs on Day 1

While bringing grandeur in home decoration, visiting the nearby holy powerhouse (temple), and exchanging gifts with family and friends are just part of Tamil New Year customs, there are a few specific ones that are unique to this day:

• The New Year ushers in oodles of auspiciousness, prosperity, and happiness. So, families in South India keep ‘Kanni’ as the first sight on April 14th to blink on. Kanni is a plate loaded with fruits, flowers, money, jewellery, betel leaves, and a mirror. This is festooned in front of Hindu idols and setting your first sight on this decoration can have a massive impact on your start to the year.
• A combination of ‘Kolam’ (powdered and coloured rice flour) plus ‘Kuthuvilakku’ (pure brass oil lamp) creates an austere ambience at the entrance of everyone’s home. The doorways of homes are also stringed with mango leaves, signifying a welcome to the gods.
• On this day, men sport traditional dhotis (or veshti) and women drape up in multi-hued sarees.

Saree Power on Tamil New Year

New beginnings and new sarees are synonymous with each other. A proverbial part of the Tamil New Year celebrations, sarees on this day come in bright colours, with intricate patterns, and symbolize the energy of firsts. Women generally adorn sarees on this day, accessorize with ornate gold jewellery, and tie up flowers in their hair.

The most sought-after type on this special day is the classic Kanchipuram silk. Renowned for their intricate designs, alluring embroidery, and sensational craftsmanship, Kanchipuram silk sarees are a by-default choice of draping on Tamil New Year.

Number two would be cotton sarees, which are lightweight, breathable, and perfect for the onsetting warm weather. These sarees are stitched with a multitude of embroidery and zari work – flowers, geometrical patterns, animals, birds, and temple scenes.

Styling Up This NY

This year, choose vibrant reds and green sarees to match with your sparkling bling, or subtle earthy tones to go with matte-finish jewelry. Kanchipuram sarees in pink, orange, or off-white look regal on days like Tamil New Year. If you’re going to the temple, then you can rock yellow and green palettes with a red blouse that goes well with gold earrings and the jasmine flower bunch on the back of your head.

Traditional to go with Tradition

Tamil New Year is an important occasion that reinforces the Tamil culture, tradition, and heritage. The day brings people together to celebrate new hope for a prosperous year ahead. There’s no place like Tulsi Madras this year to check out traditional Kanjivaram sarees, Cotton, and a host of other types of sarees to wrap yourself in the finest cloth of South India.