tamil new year

The Tamilians celebrate the new year as “Puthandu”or “Varsha Pirappu”. The Tamil New Year is celebrated on the first day of the Hindu Solar Calendar, and generally falls on 13th April or 14th April. In 2008, the date of Tamil New Year is April 13. Houses are decorated with elaborate designs of the floor art called Kolam. 'Maanga Pachadi' is one of the special side dishes prepared for this occasion. It is a dish made of raw mangoes, jaggery and neem flowers.