Auspicious Times — Avurudu Nekath (අවුරුදු නැකත්)
Official auspicious times for the 2026 Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations, as declared by the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs.
සුභ අලුත් අවුරුද්දක් වේවා!
இனிய புத்தாண்டு நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்!
Wishing you a Happy & Blessed Sinhala & Tamil New Year! 🎉
| Ceremony | Date & Time | Color | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🌑 New Moon Sighting | Friday, March 20 | — | — |
| 🔥 Preparing the Traditional Hearth (Helawalam) | Sunday, April 5 at 11:08 AM | Red | South |
| 🛁 Ritual Bath for the Old Year | Monday, April 13 | — | — |
| 🌅 New Year Dawn | Tuesday, April 14 at 9:32 AM | — | — |
| ⏳ Auspicious Period (Punya Kalaya) | Tuesday, April 14, 3:08 AM → 3:56 PM | — | — |
| 🍚 First Meal Preparation (Kiribath) | Tuesday, April 14 at 10:51 AM | Red | South |
| 🤝 First Work, Transactions & Meal | Tuesday, April 14 at 12:06 PM | Red | South |
| 💆 Oil Anointing (Herbal Bath) | Wednesday, April 15 at 6:55 AM | Pacha-varga (Five Colors) | East |
| 🏛️ Leaving for Urgent Official Duties | Friday, April 17 at 5:38 AM | Gold | North |
| 💼 Leaving for Work | Monday, April 20 at 6:27 AM | Any Color (ස්වේච්ඡා) | South |
| 🌱 Planting | Thursday, April 23 at 9:01 AM | Gold | North |
🌑
නව සද බැලීම
The new moon sighting marks the formal beginning of Avurudu preparations. Families begin cleaning homes, preparing sweets, and arranging rituals for the weeks ahead.
🔥
හෙළවලම ලිප සෑදීම
The auspicious time to prepare the traditional hearth and begin making New Year sweets (kavili). Dressed in red and facing south, families light the Helawalam stove to cook traditional Avurudu treats like kokis, kavum, and aluwa in preparation for the celebrations ahead.
🛁
පරණ අවුරුද්ද සඳහා ස්නානය
Bathe using Divul leaf (wood apple) juice and spend time in meditation and prayer. This purification cleanses body and spirit before the New Year dawn.
🌅
අලුත් අවුරුදු උදාව
The exact moment when the Sun transitions from Meena Rashiya (Pisces) to Mesha Rashiya (Aries), marking the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. Temple bells ring and firecrackers fill the sky.
⏳
පුණ්ය කාලය
The sacred window between the old and new year. Sri Lankans refrain from eating and working, devoting time to religious observance — chanting pirith, visiting temples, and quiet reflection.
🍚
ආහාර පිසීම
Dressed in red and facing south, families light the hearth, prepare milk rice (kiribath) and traditional sweets. The boiling over of the milk pot symbolizes abundance for the year ahead.
🤝
වැඩ ඇල්ලීම, ගනුදෙනු කිරීම සහ ආහාර අනුභවය
Share the first meal, conduct the first business transaction, and begin work. Even exchanging sweets with a neighbour counts as the first auspicious transaction of the year.
💆
හිසතෙල් ගෑම
Apply herbal oil enriched with Kohomba (neem) leaves to the head. Wearing pacha-varga (five traditional colors) and facing east, this Ayurvedic ritual symbolizes healing and renewed vitality.
🏛️
හදිසි රාජකාරී සඳහා පිටත් යෑම
For those with urgent government or official duties who cannot wait until the general work departure date. Dressed in gold and facing north, eat kiribath and sweets before departing to resume essential responsibilities.
💼
රැකීරක්ෂා සඳහා පිටත්ව යාම
After days of celebration, step into the working world with renewed purpose. Two auspicious times are available: 6:27 AM facing south, or 6:50 AM facing east. Eat kiribath and sweets before departing to bless your professional life for the year ahead.
🌱
පැල සිටුවීම
The final ritual honours Sri Lanka's agricultural soul. Dressed in gold and facing north, plant seeds or saplings — symbolizing growth, respect for the earth, and hope for the new year.
The Sinhala and Tamil New Year, known lovingly as Aluth Avurudda (අලුත් අවුරුද්ද), is Sri Lanka's most cherished cultural celebration. Observed on April 13-14 each year, it marks the sun's transition from Pisces to Aries and the beginning of the traditional new year for both Sinhalese and Tamil communities.
At the heart of the celebration is the Avurudu Nakath Litha — a sacred schedule of auspicious times calculated by expert astrologers and officially released by the government. Each ritual is tied to a precise moment, a specific color of clothing, a direction to face, and traditional foods to prepare. These elements are believed to usher in prosperity, good health, and blessings for every household.
The Sinhala and Tamil New Year 2026 dawns on Tuesday, April 14 at 9:32 AM. The celebrations and rituals span from April 13 to April 23.
Avurudu Nekath (අවුරුදු නැකත්) are the officially calculated auspicious times for New Year rituals. They are determined by state astrologers and published by the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs.
For the Helawalam hearth preparation on April 5, wear red. For the first meal and first transactions on April 14, wear red. For the oil anointing on April 15, wear pacha-varga (five colors). For urgent official departure on April 17, wear gold. For leaving for work on April 20, any color is auspicious. For planting on April 23, wear gold.
For the first meal preparation (Kiribath) on April 14 at 10:51 AM, face South while wearing red-colored clothing.
Yes. April 13 and 14 are official public holidays in Sri Lanka for Sinhala and Tamil New Year. Many businesses close from April 12-16.
In Sinhala: "සුභ අලුත් අවුරුද්දක් වේවා!" (Subha Aluth Avuruddak Wewa!). In Tamil: "இனிய புத்தாண்டு நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்!" (Iniya Puthandu Nalvazhthukkal!).
Discover Avurudu parties, cultural shows, and festive gatherings across Sri Lanka