Badaga Calendar

I am indebted to Dr.Sundradevan IAS, the first Badaga IAS officer, who has made the following very interesting info – “A Manual of Badaga Festivals (as observed in Athigaratty village)” available to me which gives out the great link between the Badaga Festivals and Badaga Calender.

Badaga Calendar

The Badaga calendar has twelve months like the English and Tamil calendar.  All the Badaga festivals are fixed based on Badaga calendar.

Badaga months start on the new moon day (muttu).  Badaga festivals are fixed based on the new moon day, usually the Monday following the new moon day.  It may so happen that two new moon days fall within the same English month.  In those months, there is always a confusion about which new moon day should be considered for fixing the festival date.  The thumb rule being followed is that all Badaga months start between 10^th and 15^th of the English month.  This implies that if two new moon days occur within a single English month, that which falls before 10^th of the English month is ignored and the other new moon day is reckoned with.

There is another important difference.  The Badaga new moon day is supposed to occur one day prior to the new moon day mentioned in the pancha:nkas.  Festivals are held only after the crescent moon is noticed.  It is usually very difficult to sight to crescent on the second day, i.e., the day after new moon, when a very faint outline of the moon will flash for a few seconds before disappearing .  Therefore, Badaga festivals are held usually on or after the third day after the new moon.  Thus, if the pancha:nga new moon day falls on a Sunday, the Badaga muttu is on Saturday, and hence festivals can be held on the Monday, the third day after muttu. All Badaga festivals, with the exception of Ma:si magam and ka:rtigai di:pam, are held only on waxing crescent moon days. Go to next page…