History of Thiruvalluvar Aandu - Tamil New Year Vs English Year

Everybody is celebrating the new year as of January 1st every year. But Indians are odd from this type of celebration. Because we are holding a lot of people in a different culture, everyone celebrates on a different date. The Tamilan (Thamizhan, தமிழன்), is celebrating the new year on April 14th every year. When you see Tamil calendar you will find two years, i.e one is English year another one is Tamil year. Tamil year is noted as +31 of English year i.e if English year is 2010, Tamil year will be 2010 + 31 = 2041.

Here is why this difference: 

For several years we have followed the tradition to celebrate it on the first of the Tamil month of Chithirai. Now it is claimed by learned people well versed in Tamil and Tamil culture that the day of Thai Pongal (தைப் பொங்கல்) should be the Tamil New Year. They say that the 14th of April is the Hindu New Year. In Sri Lankan calendars it is termed the ‘Hindu Sinhala‘ New Year. Here one should note that it is not termed the ‘Hindu Buddhist‘ New Year. This because in other parts of the world different Buddhists have their own New Year dates.

Thai Festival

According to the existing system, once the sixty years are over with the year called Atchaya, then the next sixty years start with Pirabawa. This makes it mathematically impossible to keep track or record of historical events that happened in the past. Suppose a great leader was born in the year of Atchaya after a lapse of one or two centuries it will not be able to decipher the exact age or period of that event.

In 1921 Tamil scholars who gathered under the leadership of the “Tamil Kadal” (Sea) Maraimalai Adikal researched on the subject of the Tamil New Year.

This committee included Tamil veterans like Tamil Thenral V.Kalyanundaram, Tamil Kavalar K.Subramaniumpillai, Saiva Periyar Satchithananthampillai, Navalar Somasundara Barathiyar, Navalar N.M. Vegkadasami Naddar and Muthamil Kavalar K.A.P. Visvanatham. After long deliberations, they unanimously arrived at the conclusion that the Tamil New Year commenced on the first day of the Tamil month “Thai.” All the twelve months that followed have pure Tamil names.  

They also named the seven days as:

1. 1) Gnayiru (ஞாயிறு)
2. 2) Thingal (திங்கள்)
3. 3) Sevai (செவ்வாய்)
4. 4) Arivan (அறிவன்)
5. 5) Viyalan (வியாழன்)
6. 6) Velli (வெள்ளி)
7. 7) Kaari (காரி)

Puthan and Sani were not accepted as Tamil words. They also said that Thiruvalluvar was born thirty-one (31). Hence it was decided to add 31 years to the English year and adopt that as the Tamil year called Thiruvalluvar Aandu. The calendars in Tamil Nadu commenced using Thiruvalluvar Aandu in 1971. The state of Tamil Nadu accepted the Thiruvalluvar Aandu officially in 1972.

According to researchers, the Tamils have used the months commencing from Thai to Markali even during the Indus civilization (Sinthu Vaeli Nkareekam). The Gujarathi people, even though they are Hindus, yet their New Year falls on the day of Deepavali. The Marathas have their own. Similarly, people speaking different languages in India celebrate their own separate New Years.

It is a pity that the Tamils both in India and Sri Lanka continue to follow the Hindu New Year as the Tamil New Year.

Tamil years names, Thiruvalluvar years, Kollam and pashali years.

The 60 - year cycle of the Tamil Calendar is followed in Tamil Nadu and all over India as a traditional calendar, with the same name and sequence of years.

Its original reference is to be found in Surya Siddhanta, which Varahamihirar to be the most accurate of the then current theories of astronomy. However, in the Surya Siddhantic list, the first year was Vijaya and not Prabhava as currently used.

After the completion of sixty years, the calendar starts a new with the first year. This corresponds to the Hindu "century."  Based on this Uga (uga starts with child nebula created time and the solar system of the earth)  is calculated.  The Vakya or Tirukannitha Panchangam (the traditional Tamil manual for astronomy) outlines this sequence.

Hindu and Mayan calendars only have a full reference of prabanjam (nebula in English) creation and destroying time. But western science invented last 20 years back only.

The following list represents the current 60 - year cycle of the Tamil calendar year:

Tamil Year தமிழ் வருடம்	Pashail Year பசலி	Kollam Year கொல்லம்	Thiruvalluvar Year திருவள்ளுவர்	Gregorian Year -English
01. Prabhava - பிரபாவ	1396-1397	1162-1163	2018	1987 - 1988
02.Vibhava - விபவ	1397-1398	1163-1164	2019	1988 - 1989
03.Sukla - சுக்ல	1398-1399	1164-1165	2020	1989 - 1990
04.Pramodhoodha - பிரமோதூத	1399-1400	1165-1166	2021	1990 - 1991
05.Prachorpaththi - பிரசோற்பத்தி	1400-1401	1166-1167	2022	1991 - 1992
06.Aangirasa-ஆங்கிரச	1401-1402	1167-1168	2023	1992 - 1993
07.Srimukha-ஸ்ரிமுக்ஹா	1402-1403	1168-1169	2024	1993 - 1994
08.Bhava-பாவ	1403-1404	1169-1170	2025	1994 - 1995
09.Yuva-யுவ	1404-1405	1170-1171	2026	1995 - 1996
10.Thaadhu-தாது	1405-1406	1171-1172	2027	1996 - 1997
11.Eesvara-ஈஸ்வர	1406-1407	1172-1173	2028	1997 - 1998
12.Vehudhanya-வேஹுதான்ய	1407-1408	1173-1174	2029	1998 - 1999
13.Pramathi- பிரமாதி	1408-1409	1174-1175	2030	1999 - 2000
14.Vikrama-விக்கிரம	1409-1410	1175-1176	2031	2000 - 2001
15.Vishu-விஷு	1410-1411	1176-1177	2032	2001 - 2002
16.Chitrabaanu-சித்ரபானு	1411-1412	1177-1178	2033	2002 - 2003
17.Subaanu-சுபானு	1412-1413	1178-1179	2034	2003 - 2004
18.Thaarana-தாரண	1413-1414	1179-1180	2035	2004 - 2005
19.Paarthiba-பார்த்திப	1414-1415	1180-1181	2036	2005 - 2006
20.Viya-விய	1415-1416	1181-1182	2037	2006 - 2007
21.Sarvajith-சர்வஜித்	1416-1417	1182-1183	2038	2007 - 2008
22.Sarvadhari-சர்வதாரி	1417-1418	1183-1184	2039	2008 - 2009
23.Virodhi-விரோதி	1418-1419	1184-1185	2040	2009 - 2010
24.Vikruthi-விக்ருதி	1419-1420	1185-1186	2041	2010 - 2011
25.Kara-கர	1420-1421	1186-1187	2042	2011 - 2012
26.Nandhana-நந்தன	1421-1422	1187-1188	2043	2012 - 2013
27.Vijaya-விஜய	1422-1423	1188-1189	2044	2013 - 2014
28.Jaya-ஜெயா	1423-1424	1189-1190	2045	2014 - 2015
29.Manmatha-மன்மத	14241425	1190-1191	2046	2015 - 2016
30.Dhunmuki-துன்முகி	1425-1426	1191-1192	2047	2016 - 2017
31.Hevilambi - ஹேவிளம்பி	1426-1427	1192-1193	2048	2017 - 2018
32.Vilambi-விளம்பி	1427-1428	1193-1194	2049	2018 - 2019
33.Vikari-விகாரி	1428-1429	1194-1195	2050	2019 - 2020
34.Sarvari-சர்வரி	1429-1430	1195-1196	2051	2020 - 2021
35.Plava- பலவா	1430-1431	1196-1197	2052	2021 - 2022
36.Subakrith -சுபக்ரித்	1431-1432	1197-1198	2053	2022 - 2023
37.Sobakrith -சொபக்ரித்	1431-1433	1198-1199	2054	2023 - 2024
38.Krodhi -குரோதி	14331434	1199-1200	2055	2024 - 2025
39.Visuvaasuva -விசுவாசுவ	14341435	1200-1201	2056	2025 - 2026
40.Parabhaava-பரபாவ	1435-1436	1201-1202	2057	2026 - 2027
41.Plavanga-பிலவங்க	1436-1437	1202-1203	2058	2027 - 2028
42.Keelaka-கீழாக	1437-1438	1203-1204	2059	2028 - 2029
43.Saumya-சாம்ய	1438-1439	1204-1205	2060	2029 - 2030
44.Sadharana-சாதாரண	1439-1440	1205-1206	2061	2030 - 2031
45.Virodhikrithu-விரோதிக்ரித்து	1440-1441	1206-1207	2062	2031 - 2032
46.Paridhaabi-பரிதாபி	1441-1442	1207-1208	2063	2032 - 2033
47.Pramaadhisa-பிரமாதிச	1442-1443	1208-1209	2064	2033 - 2034
48.Aanandha-ஆனந்த	1443-1444	1209-1210	2065	2034 - 2035
49.Rakshasa-ராக்ஷச	1444-1445	1210-1211	2066	2035 - 2036
50.Nala-நல	1445-1446	1211-1212	2067	2036 - 2037
51.Pingala-பிங்கள	1446-1447	1212-1213	2068	2037 - 2038
52.Kalayukthi- காளயுக்தி	1447-1448	1213-1214	2069	2038 - 2039
53.Siddharthi- சித்தார்த்தி	1448-1449	1214-1215	2070	2039 - 2040
54.Raudhri-ராவ்திரி	1449-1450	1215-1216	2071	2040 - 2041
55.Thunmathi-துன்மதி	1450-1451	1216-1217	2072	2041 - 2042
56.Dhundubhi-துந்துபி	1451-1452	1217-1218	2073	2042 - 2043
57.Rudhrodhgaari-ருத்ரோத்காரி	1452-1453	1218-1219	2074	2043 - 2044
58.Raktakshi-ரக்டக்ஷி	1453-1454	12191220	2075	2044 - 2045
59.Krodhana-குரோதன	1454-1455	1220-1221	2076	2045 - 2046
60.Akshaya- அக்ஷய	1455-1456	1221-1222	2077	2046 - 2047