Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Minister Vidura Wickramanayaka yesterday said that the list of auspicious times to celebrate the Surya Mangalyaya or the Sinhala and Hindu New Year in April in Sri Lankan tradition will be made known when the astrologers present the Nakath Seettuwa (auspicious times scroll) to President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
He said the State Nakath (auspicious times) Committee is due to present its New Year auspicious times scroll to the President soon. Minister Wickramanayaka said so when we asked him about the controversy over the New Year auspicious times since the astrologers from the State Nakath Committee said that the New Year auspicious times fall on April 13 at night, and the astrologers of the Jathika Nakath Committee said that the New Year should be celebrated the following morning on April 14.
The Nakath Committee was set up decades ago on a concept of the late Speaker and Minister W.J.M. Lokubandara. Minister Wickramanayaka said, “You may stick to whatever auspicious times you want.”
Minister Wickramanayaka said that these disagreements do not constitute separate schools of thought, as a unified agreement on auspicious times should prevail.
He said that the current confusion stems from personal agendas among certain astrologers who initially supported the agreed-upon times but now campaign against them.
“They agreed to these times and signed that the times were correct in June last year.
This year they oppose it. Why did they wait so long to oppose what they had agreed upon previously?,” the minister asked.
“Every year there is a group of astrologers who create a big noise over the Avurudu Nakath (New Year auspicious times) in this manner.
Last year, they said that the colour of the attire to be worn was not good. This has become a nuisance,” he said.
A member for the State Nakath Committee said yesterday that the auspicious times announced by them to celebrate the Sinhala New Year during the night of April 13 when the Sun transits to Aries from 9.05 pm up to six hours and 24 minutes, remain unchanged.
A State Nakath Committee member, astrologer K.A.U. Sarathchandra said the New Year should be celebrated five minutes past midnight on April 13 (00.05 am on April 14).
The State Nakath Committee, consisting of 42 members, including six authors of Sri Lankan Almanacs (Lith) and experienced chiefs of the country’s Astrological Guru Kulas forecast these auspicious times.
The committee is under the supervision of the Cultural Ministry’s Secretary. Reports emerged that some astrologers outside the committee threatened the State Nakath Committee with disbandment should there be a change in Government.
However, committee members affirmed their unanimous agreement on the auspicious times last June, saying that their commitment is to tradition rather than political agendas.
“The auspicious times were determined based on the tradition of Sri Lankan astrologers, considering the Sun’s position above the country during April, where day and night are equal, which is a phenomenon exclusive to Sri Lanka,” said a member of the State Nakath Committee.
