Sinhala and Tamil New Year Celebration 2012

This  Festival  is  celebrated   in  the  countries  in  the  South , South  East  and East Asian  Region with different  features  based  on  the  Sun’s  journey  towards  the  direction of  North . This  is  being described as  the  dawn  of  the  New  Year . The Sinhala and the Tamil communities jointly celebrate this festival on the same day, in the middle of the month of April. In some areas in Sri Lanka, this festival celebrated in accordance with their Culture. According to historical records, celebration on this festival had commenced in AC 7-8 Centuries. An English Man named Robert Knox, who had been in the prison of the Kandyan King has described about this celebration in his book. 

                  At Present, not only the ethnic group of Sinhala and Tamils, but also Muslims too has joined to celebrate this festival with this group.

                                                                                                       

                 However, within the diocese of Kandy, this is the only festival jointly celebrated by this group and this immensely contributes for the mutual trust and harmony among Sinhalese and Tamils. “SETIK” organization uses this traditional festival to enhance communal harmony among this group, by celebrating this festival under various projects in their fields. In some fields, this is being celebrated separately.

                Under the Integral Human Development Project (Which Is Also The Main Project ) and the supplemental work Programmes, two main Celebration were held. One celebration was held at Rotawewa in Dambulla on the 20^th of April 2012. People of Rotawewa, Batuyaya, Rathmalkatuwa, Etawarahena, Rotarygama, Bogahayaya, took part in this festival. Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims who belongs to Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and Islam jointly celebrated this festival. They took part in various games depicting ethnic and religious harmony.

And a celebration was organized at the Wevelpitiya play ground jointly by the “SETIK” Community Based Organization at Mahaiyawa and the Kandy Municipal Council, on the 17^th of May 2012. The special features of this celebration were fully organized by the Community Based Organization at Mahaiyawa, and the entire membership comprised of Tamils, belong to Hinduism and Christianity. Buddhist and Muslims too had joined to celebrate this festival. This festival has greatly contributed towards Peace, Unity and Harmony among this settlement. Attention of the other settlements in the municipal area has now been drawn to this exemplary celebration of the community of Mahaiyawa.