FESTIVALS
Tamil Nadu is a land of temples. Temples and festivals go together. Festivals
are not only religious occasions but also cultural and commercial
land marks. They are part of the life of the people. They help family re-unions.
People meet at festivals which are designed to ensure individual
happiness commingled with social joy and domestic éclat. At Ekadasi and Skanda
Shasthi festivals, devotees go on fast. All the other Hindu festivals are
occasions of great feasting.
The seasons of the Tamils are called Kar,
Kuthir, Munpani, Pinpani, Ilavenil and Mudhuvenil. Each of two month duration
they denote the cloudy, rainy and chill weather respectively.
The year is also divided into two periods of six
months each (1) Uttarayanam, the period of longer days and shorter
nights (mid Jan to mid July) and (2) Dakshinayanam, the period of shorter
days, longer nights and inclement weather (mid July to mid January). The first is the chosen period for festivities. The second is generally
avoided for them. In the beginning of the Dakshinayanam, spiritual heads and monks observe Chaturmasya
halting at a particular
place, preaching and practicing a life of intense devotion and meditation.
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