Farming communities take out ritualistic ploughing to mark New Year's Day

MADURAI: As the day dawned, farmers along with their families took their tools and livestock to the fields and ploughed the land, marking the beginning of summer cultivation. Dark clouds hovered over the land, in a promising sign for the cultivators in the district.
On Tuesday, farming communities here celebrated the Tamil New Year with much fervour, marked by varied rituals.In Melur region, before ploughing began, the members of the community divide betel leaves among themselves in a ritual that has lasted for several centuries. In Vellalur village near Melur, betel leaves were shared among 20,000 families. The village head, who presides over 60 hamlets, holds the ceremony to boost harmony among communities. Elders from the 60 hamlets gathered in the village ground in Vellalore and 200kg of betel leaves were brought to the venue. The leaves were split into two shares, one for the village elders and the rest for the villagers.
The leaves were then taken and distributed among the 20,000 families that live in these hamlets. After receiving the leaves, the families offered prayers in their houses and proceed to the fields.
In Thumbaipatti village after Melur, Muslim elders distribute the betel leaves, seeking divine blessings for good rains and harmony among communities. Local people said the custom had been followed in the village for the last 800 years to uphold communal harmony.
R Arulpragasam, a farming community leader from Thuyaneri village in the district, said many such rituals were followed in villages before the start of summer ploughing on New Year's Day. Generally, there will be sporadic rains on New Year 's Day when the farmers take to the fields. Though rainfall has become uncertain these days, they still carry out the rituals as they believe it will bring in a prosperous farming season, he said.