Sinhala Avurudu Nakath 2016

Many traditional calendars of South and Southeast Asia celebrate New Year in the month of April. The Sinhala and Tamil New Year festival in Sri Lanka has close resemblance to the water festival and Oriya new years in Thailand, Bangladesh, Myanmar and India. Cultural and anthropological history of the "Traditional New Year" goes back to an ancient period associated with fertility of the harvest, which gave birth to many rituals, customs and ceremonies. In modern day Sri Lanka continue with celebrations and rituals of the New Year based on auspicious times given by the astrologers. The New Year unites all Sri Lankans with celebrations as a complex mix of Indigenous, Astrological, Hindu, and Buddhist traditions.