A point to ponder:
In a New Year celebration of Southeast and South Asia
0 
Adjust font size: 
Thongran, that we Rakhaing called it, is widely celebrated in many other parts of the Southeast Asian countries:
1. In Myanmar they called it “Thingyan”
2. Laos called “Boum Pimay or Bun-Pi-Mai-Lao”
3. Cambodia called “Chaul Chnam Thmey”
4. Thai people called “Songkran” and
5. The Dai people in Yunnan, China also called “Songkran”.
All that usually fall more or less on the date from 13-15 April based on the astrological event of the sun beginning its northward journey. The Southeast Asian people begin the celebration starting with religious functions and extending to the social ceremonies that include colorful events by sprinkling/splashing/ throwing water on each others.
The same day is celebrated in South Asian calendars with religious and cultural functions but without the use of water:
1. The Bengali of both Bangladesh and West Bengal of India is called “Pohela Boishakh”,
2. Chakma called “Biju” and southern Chittagonian called “Biyu”
3. Assamese called “Rongali Bihu”
4. Oriya called “Maha Visuba Sangkranti”
5. Punjabi called “Baishakhi/Vaishaki”
6. Tamil Nadu & Karnataka called “Bisu/Visu”
7. Kerala called “Vishu”
8. In Nepal the New Year is known as “Navavarsha” that begins from the first day of the first month Baishakh and
9. Sri Lankans celebrate their national New Year's Day “Puththandu” in Tamil and “Aluth Avurudhu” in Sinhala. Preceding
One striking difference is noteworthy to be observed among the Southeast and the South Asian calendars. The New Year day of the South Asian calendar like the Georgian one begins with the first day of the first month. The day one of the first month is 1st January in Georgian calendar similarly the day one of the first month in Bengali calendar is 1st (Pohela) Boishakh which are the New Year days according to Georgian and Bengali calendars. While in some of Southeast Asian calendars, notably the Myanmar and Rakhaing calendar, the New Year day never start with the first day of the first month of the year.
As you will see the variations, some days of the month of “Tankhu aks Tagu” or even “Kashung” will fall at the preceding year and some part in the following year. It is also not clear which month is the first month of the year? According to Rakhaing calendar the New Year day of this current year 1372 fall on the 5th waxing day (la-san: nga: rak) of Kasung that correspond to 17th April. How is “Hnai Tai (new year) counted when it is not the 1st day (i.e. day one) of the first month? Isn’t it is a point to ponder. This is a topic that calls for detail research and clarification which needed to study the calendars of our above mentioned neighbours of South and Southeast Asia. This study hopefully will add to our pride and prejudices that we have for Thongran and with that clear vision we could observe it more meaningfully once in a year if not more.
_____________________________________________________________________
[*]This short note has been complied by Venerable U Bodhinyana and passed on to the members of WAO and other Rakhaing brothers and sisters for brainstorming.
1. In Myanmar they called it “Thingyan”
2. Laos called “Boum Pimay or Bun-Pi-Mai-Lao”
3. Cambodia called “Chaul Chnam Thmey”
4. Thai people called “Songkran” and
5. The Dai people in Yunnan, China also called “Songkran”.
All that usually fall more or less on the date from 13-15 April based on the astrological event of the sun beginning its northward journey. The Southeast Asian people begin the celebration starting with religious functions and extending to the social ceremonies that include colorful events by sprinkling/splashing/ throwing water on each others. The same day is celebrated in South Asian calendars with religious and cultural functions but without the use of water:
1. The Bengali of both Bangladesh and West Bengal of India is called “Pohela Boishakh”,
2. Chakma called “Biju” and southern Chittagonian called “Biyu”
3. Assamese called “Rongali Bihu”
4. Oriya called “Maha Visuba Sangkranti”
5. Punjabi called “Baishakhi/Vaishaki”
6. Tamil Nadu & Karnataka called “Bisu/Visu”
7. Kerala called “Vishu”
8. In Nepal the New Year is known as “Navavarsha” that begins from the first day of the first month Baishakh and
9. Sri Lankans celebrate their national New Year's Day “Puththandu” in Tamil and “Aluth Avurudhu” in Sinhala. Preceding
One striking difference is noteworthy to be observed among the Southeast and the South Asian calendars. The New Year day of the South Asian calendar like the Georgian one begins with the first day of the first month. The day one of the first month is 1st January in Georgian calendar similarly the day one of the first month in Bengali calendar is 1st (Pohela) Boishakh which are the New Year days according to Georgian and Bengali calendars. While in some of Southeast Asian calendars, notably the Myanmar and Rakhaing calendar, the New Year day never start with the first day of the first month of the year. As you will see the variations, some days of the month of “Tankhu aks Tagu” or even “Kashung” will fall at the preceding year and some part in the following year. It is also not clear which month is the first month of the year? According to Rakhaing calendar the New Year day of this current year 1372 fall on the 5th waxing day (la-san: nga: rak) of Kasung that correspond to 17th April. How is “Hnai Tai (new year) counted when it is not the 1st day (i.e. day one) of the first month? Isn’t it is a point to ponder. This is a topic that calls for detail research and clarification which needed to study the calendars of our above mentioned neighbours of South and Southeast Asia. This study hopefully will add to our pride and prejudices that we have for Thongran and with that clear vision we could observe it more meaningfully once in a year if not more. _____________________________________________________________________
[*]This short note has been complied by Venerable U Bodhinyana and passed on to the members of WAO and other Rakhaing brothers and sisters for brainstorming.
Go to Forum >>0 Comments