CHENNAI: Even before it can get over the excitement of polling day, the city is all set to burst into another another round of festivities and excitement on Thursday, which marks the Tamil New Year.
And this year, the day is extra special thanks in part to the elections. "For the first time in five years, I will get a chance to visit my family temple in Arasakudi," says Chennai-bsed veterinarian P Balaji, who went to Thanjavur to cast his vote and decided to stay on to celebrate Tamil New Year with his family. "My elder sister, cousin from Jharkhand, we are all here," adds Balaji. "My mother is so happy to have the family together after so long that for the first time in years she has shut her salon for four days beginning April 13," says Balaji.
First-time voter, Tiruchi-based computer science student Nitish Krishna, returned home to Chennai to cast his vote and decided to stay on for the weekend to ring in the New Year with his family.
"It is after a long time that I will be celebrating the festival with my family," says the 20-year-old. Nitish is most excited about the vadai and payasam he is going to gorge on.
His classmate from Tiruchi, Gokul Sundar, is also very excited about the long holiday. "We don't get a holiday for Tamil New Year, ever since it was officially moved to January but fortunately it is also Baba Ambedkar's birthday and we get a day off, " he says. He is planning to spend the day at home with his family, watching the special movies that will be played on Tamil movie channels or going to the beach.
Vishnavi R, who lives in Purasawalkam is planning to celebrate the festival the traditional way at home with the kani a display of flowers, grains, fruits and vegetables. She has made sure she takes the day off from work. "Even though I have to work on Friday, I have taken the day off and am planning to visit my relatives and friends to see the kani and receive the traditional sweet-sour neem flower-infused manga pachadi," she says.
To receive the weekend crowds, places across the city are arranging for special food and celebrations. Dakshinachitra, an arts village on the ECR, is also putting together a kani display for the first time this year. "We usually celebrate Vishu (Malayalam New Year) but since this time, the Tamil New Year is just a day before Vishu, we have special Tamil food at our restaurant and a performance of the Tamil folk dance Mayilattam in the evening," says an employee at Dakshinachitra.
The Sikhs in the city will also be celebrating their harvest festival Baisakhi on April 14. Varinder Singh, a resident of Anna Nagar, plans to spend the whole day at the T Nagar gurudwara with his family. "There is a day-long programme at the gurudwara where kirtans will be sung. This will be followed by the community lunch or langar," he says.
The community also got together Wednesday night to cook the special meal. "Almost 2000-4000 people are expected to attend the celebrations and we have also organised a blood donation camp at the gurudwara to mark the occasion," he says.
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