NATURE AND THE NEW YEAR

Did you know that there are many signs in nature that herald the dawning of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year? The Aluth Avurudhu season, as it is also known, is very much connected to nature, and falls in April as it is a celebration of the end of the harvesting season.

THE CUCKOO BIRD

The most common sign of the dawning of the New Year is the Cuckoo or the Koha bird’s song that, welcomes the Avurudhu season. The ‘kuhu! kuhu!’ call of the bird that you may hear these days, is the sound of a male Koha bird (Asian Koel) calling for a female mate. The beginning of April is usually their breeding season, and so their song rings far and wide making everyone know that it’s nearly Avurudhu.

THE CASHEW FRUIT OR KAJU PUHULAN

The Kaju tree blossoms and bears fruit in the month of April, which connects it very closely to the Avurudhu season. If you see a tree full of the red/yellow/orange fruit, you know that Avurudhu is just around the corner. The Cashew apple or Puhulan is the fleshy top part of the fruit that turns red/ yellow/orange when it is ripe and is eaten raw with a little salt, and is quite tasty. The seed which is attached to the fruit is the cashew we see sold in shops and is used in Sri Lankan curries and eaten as a snack as well.

ERABADHU FLOWERS

The Erabadhu Flower or Tiger Claw as it is known in English, is a bright red flower that blooms during the April Avurudhu season. Birds feed on the flowers and the leaves are eaten in curries in villages and the bark is used in Ayurvedic medicine.

Springtime is in the air during the Avurudhu season; you might see other signs around you, especially all kinds of flowers blooming and trees full of fruit. Nature is a big part of Avurudhu and that means we cannot ignore it during this season. We have to always protect it and find ways to work with nature.