Guidelines for celebrating Sinhala and Tamil New Year issued

COLOMBO (News1sT): A set of health and precautionary guidelines in relation to the celebration of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year signed by the Director-General of Health Services, Dr Asela Gunawardena has been issued. According to the guidelines, people can celebrate the Sinhala and Tamil New Year at home by observing the new moon, bathing for the old year, consuming meals, engaging in work and financial transactions and the anointing of oil. The guidelines add charitable activities should be carried out at home during the auspicious time (Punya Kaalaya) and stressed that if one goes to temples or kovils during this time, they should follow all hygienic practices. The New Year Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health added visiting of relatives, sharing of avrudu treats and outdoor New Year festivities should be minimized as much as possible. The guidelines also include health measures that need to be followed during New Year's games and activities, including the crowning of the Avrudu Kumaraya and Kumariya, cycling races, marathon races. The guidelines have stressed that conducting of tug-of-war and pillow wrestling (Kotta Pora) is not suitable, given the present pandemic situation.