- Thai month (Jan-Feb)
- New moon day
- Prayers for ancestors
- Rameswaram, Kanyakumari
Where it began
Amavasai means the new moon. Three new moons in the Tamil year are held most important for ancestors: Aadi, Purattasi Mahalaya and Thai Amavasai.
It is believed that on this day the ancestors come close to the living, and that prayers and offerings made with love bring them peace and bring blessings to the family.
Thai is also the month when the sun begins its northward journey, a time seen as good and holy, which adds to the meaning of the day.
How it grew over time
Ancient times
Remembering ancestors with water and sesame is an old Hindu practice, called tarpana.
Temple tradition
Shore temples like Rameswaram and Kanyakumari became places of ancestor worship.
Family custom
Sons and families kept the day at rivers and homes, followed by a simple meal.
Today
Large crowds gather at seas and rivers at dawn for prayers.
How it is celebrated in different places
Rameswaram
Devotees bathe at Agni Theertham and offer prayers by the sea.
Kanyakumari
Prayers at the meeting point of three seas.
Tiruchirappalli
Families gather at the Kaveri banks at Amma Mandapam.
Sri Lanka
Tamil Hindus offer prayers at the sea and at Keerimalai springs.
Thai Amavasai moments
Thai Amavasai today
Families rise early, bathe, offer sesame and water while saying the names of ancestors, and then give food to the poor, cows and crows. At home, a simple meal is cooked and shared in their memory.
