Sri Lankan New Year is upon us. The stores are packed, buses are crowded, and businesses are shutting down for a long weekend.

The Tamil and Sinhalese New Years follow the vernal equinox, this year they will begin on April 14th. This year I am headed to Nuwara Eliya for New Year, apparently this is the place to be. For New Year there will be horse and car races, flower festivals, golf tournaments, and imported keg beer. All the Colomboites head up to Nuwara Eliya for the holiday.

According to LankaInfo.com, the schedule for New Years is:

“2013 NEW YEAR AUSPICIOUS TIMES IN SRI LANKA

• Dawn of New Year (Nekath Udawa)

  Dawn of New Year is at 14th April 2013 at 01:29 AM

• Punya Kalaya

  Punyakalaya is the time which starts 7hrs 05 minutes before the dawn of New Year and ends 7 hours 53 minutes after the dawn of New Year. So the puniya kala for Sri Lanka starts on  13th April at 07:05 p.m and ends at  14 th April at 07:53 a.m.  The first portion of the Punyakala  is allocated for religious ceremonies and the second part is for traditions like preparing Meals. Starting work, transactions etc.

• Lighting of the hearth 
• Preparing Meals “Aahara Piseema”
  April 14th at 04:06 a.m
  Auspicious direction is South
  Auspicious cloth Blue Colour
  Prepare a “Kiri Bath” from red rice mixed with Ghee and Jaggery (sharkara)  and sesame seeds (Tala) 
• Starting Work, Transactions and Taking Meals “Aahara Anubhavaya, Weda Alleema and Ganudenu Kireema”
  April 13th at 10:28 p.m
  Auspicious direction South
  Auspicious cloth Light Blue Colour
• Applying Oil “Hisa thel Gaama”
  April 15th at 06:41 a.m (Morning)
  Auspicious direction East
  Auspicious cloth White Colour
  Dimbul Leaves for the head and Ambul leaves for the feet
• Going to work
  April 17th at 07:42 a.m (Morning)
  Auspicious direction South
  Auspicious cloth Light green Colour”