Hinduism Did Not Originate From Islam

Recently, a Malaysian author has published a book as shown in the first image above. The book is in Malay language. The author's opinion can also be accessed at http://pts.com.my/berita/Bukti-ISLAM-Agama-tertua-dan-Sebab-Muncul-Pelbagai-Agama/ 

According to this author, the major religions like Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and even Sikhism originated from Islam. The author has a theory that the founding father of these religions is Abraham who is also revered as a prophet by the Jews and Christians. 

Islam, Christianity and Judaism have its roots in Abraham, hence they are collectively called as the Abrahamic Religions. But I disagree that Hinduism and its offshoots came from Abraham. The author claims that the Vedas were created as a result of Abraham's teachings. He also mentioned that Abraham lived in 2080 BC. 

Is this true?

The Abrahamic religions have several text. The book known as Torah, predates the Old Testament of the Christians and the Quran of the Muslims. The story of prophets before Muhammad or Jesus was mentioned in Judaism before Christianity or Islam was founded.

Till date, there is no historical evidence to confirm if Abraham or Moses really existed but we can make some assumptions on the years they would have existed. According to the author of this book, Moses existed in 1446 BC and Abraham in 2080 BC. That means there is a wide gap of 634 years between Abraham and Moses.

Abraham's son is Isaac and Isaac's son is Jacob. One of Jacob's sons is Levi. 

The Book of Exodus is part of the Torah. The genealogy of Moses being a direct descendant of Abraham through Levi was mentioned in Chapter 6 of the Exodus.

The lineage of Moses from Abraham will look like this:

Abraham -> Isaac -> Jacob -> Levi -> Kohath -> Amram -> Moses

The description of ages in the Torah is questionable. These are their lifespan:

Abraham, 175 years
Isaac, 180 years
Jacob, 147 years
Levi, 137 years
Kohath, 133 years
Amram, 137 years
Moses, 120 years

So probably this is how the author calculated an age gap of 634 years between Abraham and Moses. Meaning, each generation beginning from Abraham would have become a father only at the ripe age of 100+.  But this is again is debatable for obvious rational reasons. 

The ancient society had the habit of early marriage. Meaning a man would get married at 20 years and probably become a grandfather by 40 years. Even if a man becomes a grandfather at 60-70 years, it only takes 200 years to cover 5 generations.

The Torah also mentioned that Amran (Moses's father) married Jochebed (Kohath's sister) who happened to be his own aunt. Jochebed is the mother of Moses who is also his paternal grandfather's sister. 

If Moses had an age gap of 100 with his father Amram, then the marriage of Amram and Jochebed would have happened when both were very old because Amram and Jochebed's brother Kohath would have had an age gap of 100 years. 

One will then wonder how old was Kohath when his sister Jochebed was born and what is the age gap between her and her husband Amram who happened to also be her nephew.

Based on this, we cannot take the dates given by the author as true. A date based on any religious text can only be confirmed if it is validated properly and it should not be based on assumption that it took 634 years to cover 5 generations.

In his book, the author used the Aryan Invasion Theory to support his claim that Siva was never mentioned in the Vedas.

TRANSLATION: Siva was never mentioned and was unknown to the Brahmans of the Vedic period. This is because the word Siva does not exist in the Vedas. Siva was only introduced during the Puranic period......

According to the author, the Puranic period began in 300 BC and Siva was only introduced during period. 

In Rig Veda, Siva was identified in his fearsome aspect known as Rudra. The word Rudra means terrific. It is also used in association with fierce deities known as Maruts. 

Please refer to Rig Veda hymn XXXIII and CXIV. 

Then in Yajur Veda, the supreme God is requested to put away his terrific form known as Rudra and show his auspicious form known as Siva. Both Siva (auspicious) and Rudra (terrific) are different aspects of the same God proving that God is both the giver and also the annihilator . 

This proves that Siva existed even in the Vedas and what the author mentioned in his book is not true. I have attached some screenshots from the Vedas to support what I mentioned here.

The Mysterious European Statue In Brihadeeswara Temple

Please view the video above before reading further. Turn on the audio. You can also click on Ancient Indian Sculptures show International Connections - Brihadeeswarar Temple 

There is a sculpture of a European man carved on the gopuram (tower)  of Thanjavur's Brihadeeswara temple. Some people believe that king Rajaraja Chola had international contact with Europe and this is why there is such sculpture on the temple. I don't know if Rajaraja had any European contact but I doubt this was made by the Cholas.

If you look at the sculpture it is flanked by a pair of female attendants. Usually, female attendants are used for female deities and male attendants for male deities. So it is quite odd that the Cholas considered to use female attendants for a male European figure. This is the first hint we get indicating that the European image was not made by the Chola sculptors of the 11th century AD. 

It was perhaps done under the orders of a British officer who cared less about temple sculpture rules.

We can get some answer if we look at British records. There is something written by Clements R.Markham in his book A Memoir on the Indian Surveys which was published in 1871. He mentioned about an accident which happened at the Brihadeeswarar temple involving Colonel William Lambton.

The Colonel who was back then a Major, was given the task to measure and map British India. Measurement was done using an instrument called the theodolite.

The theodolite used by Lambton weighed over 1000 pounds. It was made by William Cary for the Great Survey of India. Lambton brought it to India in 1802 when he was a Captain.

The 3 foot theodolite made by William Cary for the Great Survey of India in 1802. It was later revised by Barrow, photographed on the gallery during the exhibition 'Science in India' at the Science Museum, London in 1982. Weighing over 1000 pounds, the theodolite was taken to India by Captain Lambton in 1802 and later used by Colonel Sir George Everest (1790-1866), Surveyor General of India, in the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India (1830-1843). The equipment's extreme solidity was needed to ensure that the readings were of the highest accuracy. In 1849, survey officer James Nicolson also used this theodolite to establish that a peak on Mount Everest, then known as peak 'b', was the highest in the world. In 1865, the mountain was named after George Everest by the Royal Geographical Society as a tribute to his pioneering work in mapping India. This tribute came in spite of Everest's own belief that mountains should be known by their local names. Source: Science Museum Photo Studio

Lambton made some workers to carry the theodolite up the Brihadeeswara gopuram. This was done so that he can get better readings. The theodolite broke away and fell to the ground dislodging a statue on the wall as it plunged down. 

This means the original statue was broken and the wall was damaged. Lambton probably then asked a local sculptor to repair the damaged portion of the wall with the image of himself. Even the hat on this image does not look like it belonged to the 11th century AD.

So now you know that the story in the video above about the European connection is after all a myth created in recent times.

Lambton. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Why Tamil Barbers Don't Work on Tuesdays?

Picture Credit Malaysia Daily

The Tamil barbers are called Ambattar, Navidar or even Pariyari. They are also called Maruthuvar which carries the same meaning as "doctor" or "medical practitioner". 

This is because the Tamil barbers also served as surgeons during ancient times. Some are still involved with native medicinal practices especially massages. If you have a bad sprain or a stiff neck, the Tamil barber is probably the best person who can fix it for you.

In the past, the Tamil barbers will not work on Tuesdays. Their shops will be closed. But nowadays they no longer do this. The shops will be opened every day.

Why was there a tradition of not working on Tuesdays?

Tuesday is the day of Mars (Chevvai). As per Hindu tradition (also Greeks & Romans) Mars is associated with fights, quarrels, wars and anything aggressive. This is why the God of War, Muruga and his mother Durga are worshipped on this day. 

It is believed that anything associated with Mars is suitable for violent purpose. This also includes injuries whether wanted or unwanted. So as per Hindu astrological belief, it is best to avoid sharp weapons or objects on Tuesdays as it can cause injuries. 

So the Tamil barbers of the past don't use their scissors and shaving blades on Tuesdays and it became their off day.

Kabali - What Malaysians Need to Know

SPOILER ALERT: DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED THE MOVIE. ALSO, IF YOU ARE GOING TO GET EMOTIONAL AND NOT THINK OUT OF THE BOX, DON'T BOTHER READING THIS. THERE ARE OTHER ARTICLES IN THIS BLOG WHICH MAY INTEREST YOU.

As expected, Kabali was received well worldwide. Rajini fans particularly those in Malaysia are very excited about this movie. They believe that PA Ranjith did an excellent work by telling the story of the Indians in Malaysia.

On a personal note, I think Rajini should do more films which shows him as an aged man. It suits him better. Just like what Amitabh Bachan is doing. An aged don Rajini certainly looks better than the young Rajini in Kuselan or Lingga.

Many reviewers from India have stated that Kabali is a Dalit story and not just about the Indians in general. However, the reviewers in Malaysia seem to disagree with it as they believe that there is no caste stereotype in the movie.

Unknown to the Malaysian fans, the Indian reviewers were not wrong. They were right about the review. There are certain elements in Tamil cinema which is understood by those in India but not by those in Malaysia.

Whether we like it or not, caste is a big thing in Tamil cinema. Gone are the days where caste is mentioned openly like in Thevar Magan, Chinna Gounder or Vedham Puthithu. There are many indirect references to caste in present day Tamil movies.

Let me give you some examples:

Sillunu Oru Kathal - Surya is the Thevar boy who falls in love with Bhoomika the Gounder girl of Coimbatore. The father rejects their love and takes Bhoomika away. This movie is inspired by actual love stories which happened in Coimbatore. During the last century, there were migration of Thevar people particularly Maravars from Ramnad and Tirunelveli into Coimbatore which is predominantly a Kongu Vellala Gounder area. After the migration, there has been instances of Thevar-Gounder love story. This is what they showed in the movie. During Surya's arranged marriage with Jothika in the movie, there will be a song. In the song, there is mention of Alagu Thevar, Ambasamudram (an area in Tirunelveli) and Sudalai Madan, the tutelary God of the Maravars in Tirunelveli.

Ejamaan - The movie is about the feud between the Gounder Pattakarar families. The names Vallavarayan and Vanavarayan are titles used by Kongu zamins. In the movie, there will be a dispute between Rajinikanth and Napolean over who should marry Meena. For this, the father of Meena, played by Vijaykumar suggest they compete in their traditional sport which is Rekhla. This bullock cart race is the traditional sport of the Gounders in the western region of Tamil Nadu. 

Rajini Murugan - It is about love stories and wealth dispute among Kallars in Madurai. The panchayat scene involving Raj Kiran and Samuthrakanni is referring to the traditional panchayat of the Kallar feudal lords in Madurai. Not any ordinary Tamil movie panchayat. Parts of Madurai forms the traditional Nadu system known as Kallar Nadu.

In Tamil cinema, references to Madurai, Jallikattu is associated with the Mukkulathor.
Coimbatore, Pollachi, Rekhla refers to Gounders.
Karaikudi refers to Chettiars
Words like Annachi refers to Nadars

There is also color symbolism used in reference to castes or social groups

Red & Yellow or Green & Yellow for the Mukkulathor (Thevar)
Yellow or Yellow, Blue and Red for Vanniyars (Palli. In Malaysia called as Vanniya Gounder)
Black & Light Blue for Dalits

Black or Black & Red for Dravidian supporters
Red for Marxist and Naxalites
Orange for Hindutva
Green & White for Muslims

This is how they insert the caste theme into their movies. It also has a regional flavour and goes well with the movie viewers back in Tamil Nadu because the people understand these symbolisms.

Along this line, we have PA Ranjith who brings in the culture of northern Chennai with the intention of highlighting the Dalit community, especially the Paraiyar community. He is a very creative film maker and tries to be realistic in his approach.

His movie Madras is about the politics involving Dalit youths in Chennai. The song "Yengga Oor Madras, Ingga Nangga Thaan Address" is about them. In the song, you can even see Karthi reading a book entitled Theendatha Vasantham. It is a book about Dalits. 

During the song "Agayam Thee Pidithal Nila Kayuma", you can see a quick glimpse of a couple behind Karthi. It resembles Ilavarasan the Dalit youth and his Vanniyar girlfriend Divya. The girl's churidar in this song clip resembles the flag of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), a political party for the Vanniyars. Do a quick search in Google about the Ilavarasan case. I don't wish to elaborate further.

Kabali is no exceptional. There are Dalit elements in this movie which some Malaysians refuse to acknowledge.

The movie Kabali is about a Malaysian man from the rubber estates. He fights for the estate workers and rise to become a don. He also runs a foundation to rehabilitate troubled youths. This idea of foundation was taken from our very own Myskills foundation.

To the general Malaysian public, Kabali is the story of Indian plight in Malaysia. Therefore, our local reviewers rejected the caste tag which the Indian reviewers mentioned.

This is what most of us didn't notice about Kabali.

The movie starts with a description of gang activities in Malaysia. It then shows Kabali in prison reading a book entitled My Father Baliah. What is this book about? The book is about a Dalit family from Telangana which goes through hardship. By showing this scene, Ranjith made things clear just like how he did in Madras. The opening scene establishes that the hero of the movie is a Dalit. 

Then throughout the entire movie, there are references to Ambedkar, the famed Indian leader who struggled for Dalit uprising in India. There are also scenes which shows portraits of Ambedkar and Buddha. 

Usually, in the Indian political sense, Buddha-Ambedkar combination is an expression of Dalit uprising. Even today, you can see this form of expression used by Dalit political outfits in India.

Then during the session with students in the foundation, Kabali's friend Ameer explains that Tamils will take their caste and religion wherever they migrate to. He also tells that Kabali was rejected by Valli's family. In the movie, we know that both Kabali and wife were Hindu Tamils. So the rejection mentioned here is intercaste marriage. 

Then during the scene in the gang gathering, Tamilmaran mentions that it was a mistake by his family to even allow Kabali enter his house. Another reference to caste stigma practised during that era.

There is a direct provocation found in Kabali's song Ulagam Oruvanukka (Is The World Only For One). This song was written by lyricist Kabilan.

Mettukudiyin koopadu ini naatukulle kekkadhu 
(The voice of the upper caste won’t be heard in the country anymore)

Kalagam Seidhu Aandaiyarin Kadhai Mudippan 
(End the story of the upper caste by creating chaos)

The word Mettukudi and Aandaiyar refers to the traditional upper castes of the Tamil society, the non-Dalits like the Thevars, Pillais, Mudaliars, Gounders and Chettiars. 

Even in the caste themed movie Thevar Magan, we can't find offensive lyrics. The movie only focused on  caste pride, internal feud and honour. 

In Thevar Magan, there were phrases like "Thekku Thisai Aanda Mannar Inam" (The Royal race which ruled southern land).  But Thevar Magan or even movies like MadhaYanai Kootam did not provoke the Thevars (Mukkulathor) to attack the Dalits. Because those movies were about internal fighting within the same community.

But the lyrics in Kabali is about Dalits vs Non-Dalits. 

These elements in the movie only confirms the first scene in prison involving the book, that Kabali is a Dalit and it is about Dalit uprising.

There are some truth in Kabali about the Malaysian Indian plight such as discrimination in education, estate fragmentation, gangsterism though not accurately described. 

For example, unequal wage between Chinese and Indians didn't happen in the 90s, it happened in the 40s and earlier. But those are probably just minor errors in his movie. 

He did well in showing how some words like sareke, ponne, semme, gaadi, lah, are used by Malaysians. The gang ritual involving guardian deities and the funeral scene were fantastic. Ranjith did his homework well to understand local culture.

Although we would like to see the movie as a Malaysian Indian story, we need to accept the bitter truth that it was made by a non-Malaysian influenced by Ambedkarism and Dalit politics. PA Ranjith inserted caste elements which are irrelevant.

The Malaysian Indian plight is a class struggle involving all Indians in this country irrespective of caste. Therefore, it was not necessary to show My Father Baliah or Ambedkar-Buddha in Kabali as those things are about Dalit politics in India and not about us in Malaysia. 

One movie which showed the Malaysian Indian plight well was Jagat. There is a difference between Jagat and Kabali. Jagat's movie makers are Malaysians and they understood the local class struggle better.

PA Ranjith should have used elements which are more general in nature and one that reflects struggle from a class perspective and not a caste perspective. He could have used books or portraits which are more relevant to Malaysians.

It is for these reasons reviewers from India has labelled Kabali as a Dalit story instead of a typical Malaysian Indian story. Of course we Malaysians do not realise it because most of us are not even aware of casteist themes and Dalit elements in cinema which I explained here.

So we can't blame those reviewers because that is how Ranjith has made the movie look like for them.

Indian reviews:

http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/Kabali-will-bring-My-father-Baliah-from-libraries-to-drawing-rooms-Author/2016/07/24/article3544613.ece 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/In-Kabali-Dalits-see-a-natty-redeemer/articleshow/53347858.cms

http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/regional/kabali-rajinikanth-movie-review-radhika-apte-dalit-script-2928624/

Muruga & Naga Worship

Muruga or Skanda is the God of war for the Hindus. He is the general of the Devas. Hence he is also known as DevaSenapathi. Muruga's mother is Durga,  the Goddess of war and also victory. The Tamils call her Kotravai. Muruga has many names. Each name has its own meaning.

One of it is Subramanya. MahaPeriyava mentioned that Subrahmanya also known as Subbarayadu in Telugu region refers to serpents or nagas. In the state of Karnataka, there is a temple called Kukke Subramanya temple. In this temple, Muruga is worshipped as the Lord of Serpents. This is something uncommon for many Hindus especially the Tamils.

Kukke Subramanya

However, even in Tamil Hindu temples, he is indirectly worshipped as the Lord of Serpents. It is just that we do not realise it.

Do you notice that there is often a separate shrine under the arasamaram (Sacred Fig) in our temples?
Do you also notice that in this shrine, the statue of Vinayagar is often paired up with a statue of naga?

There is also a ritual where devotees will go around the Vinayagar statue under this arasamaram.

It is best to first drench ourselves wet before doing that. The logic given is that the oxygen from the tree is taken in not only through breathing but absorbed by the wet skin thus cleansing ourselves. It also activates our chakras. It is some sort of therapy for the well being of the mind and body.

So the concept here is to first cleanse ourselves before continuing. The ancient wise people knew that not everyone had the capacity to understand the scientific reason behind. So they placed the statue of Vinayagar and the naga under the tree. They then tell the people that if they go around this two statues good things will happen to them. The people then just do it without understanding the actual reason behind.

One thing to realise here is that they could have used any statues and tell the people to go around the tree. But why did they put Vinayagar and that too paired up with a naga statue?

When we cleanse and energise ourselves, our chakras will be activated. Our Nadi will flow smoothly. Our nervous system will function well.

Vinayagar represents the first chakra in our body, the Mooladhara. This is why he is shown as the first God to be worshipped before any ritual. Activate the Mooladhara first before proceeding to other chakras. The naga statue which you see is actually Subramanya or Muruga.

How?

Let's take a look at Murugan iconography. Muruga is often shown together with his two consorts, Valli and Devasena. There is another scientific reason for this.

There are many Nadi in the human body. To understand what Nadi is all about, you can do a quick Google search. Of the various Nadis, there are 3 main ones. It is known as Ida, Pingala and Sushumna.

Valli is Ida
Devasena is Pingala
Muruga is Sushumna

Both Ida and Pingala coils together with the Sushumna in the centre. When you look at it, it looks like serpents. Hence, this image of the Nadis is shown in the form of naga statues. Since the Nadis begin in Mooladhara, the statue of Vinayagar representing Mooladhara and naga representing Muruga with his consorts is kept as a pair under the tree.

So going around the arasamaram by having these two as focal point is a symbolic way of telling us that when you go around, inhale the air under the tree, you activate your Mooladhara and that is good for your Nadi and nervous system!

This is why Muruga or Subramanya is worshipped as the Lord of Serpents.

Why Must There Be Vedas, Agamas and Puranas?

Shiva as Dakshinamurti, teaching the Sanatkumaras after crushing the Ego under his foot.

The Hindu scriptures can be classified in many ways. What is more important is that we understand the essence of these scriptures. It is also important to know the difference between the various types of scriptures.

If the scriptures share the same root and same message, why do they exist in different forms? Why must there be Puranas if there are already Vedas? If Vedas are revelation of non-human origin, why must there be another scripture of non-human origin known as the Agamas ? Isn't it redundant to have too many scriptures? 

To answer these questions, I will summarise it according to contemporary perspective.

We know 1 + 1 = 2, 5 x 9 = 45 or 9/3 = 3. This is basic Maths. It can be further expanded into equations such as the ones we see in Trigonometry, Tan A = Opposite/Adjacent = a/b = a/c X c/b = (a/c)/(b/c) = Sin A/Cos A. This can get even more complicated. We also know that fire burns. We then notice that fire requires oxygen, fuel and heat. Fire can be used to cook food and warm our bodies. This is basic Mathematics and Science.

This basic knowledge can be developed into specialized knowledge i.e Engineering. Say you want to build a rocket, you need to first understand how fire and explosion works. You also need to develop the right fuel. Proper materials need to be used to construct the body. The trajectory of the rocket have to be calculated using Physics and Advanced Mathematics. A computerized system must be placed in order to navigate the rocket. All these must be put together so that your rocket can take off and reach its destination without any failure. 

The layman may not have the time or convenience to study your Science, Mathematics or anything advanced that came from it. But you need to tell him about this technology which you have. You need to share the knowledge. Although he may not understand how it was made, he needs to at least understand that it exist. He needs to know the good and bad of it. So you develop Science Fiction movies like Star Wars. In this movie, you tell the story of a rocket which was launched from Earth by a race of Humans. The rocket travels to a star far away. Many things happen during its journey and the viewer sees it through your movie. He feels happy, sad, angry, puzzled, awed when he watches it. He does not know how you made it. He does not understand the technical aspects of its creation. He may even have his own interpretation of the story. But he will learn something from what you have showed him. He will benefit from it and apply it accordingly.

If Vedas are like Mathematics and Science, then the Agamas are like Engineering and the Puranas are like Science Fictions.

All these can then be further summarised into simplified methods. This methods have the essence of Vedas, Agamas and Puranas. Since it is simplified, it will be much more easier to be understood by the common people. Method is known as Murai in Tamil. Since this methods shown by great sages is sacred (Thiru) to the Tamil people, it is known as Thirumurai.

Therefore, for the Tamil speaking Siva devotees, the Thirumurai is a conclusion and summary of our sacred scriptures. The Thirumurai has the breath of the Vedas, the spirit of the Agamas and the wisdom of the Puranas.

May this article of mine open your mind on this Maha Shivarathri day!
Hara Hara Mahadeva!

Tamil New Year - What Year Is It?

Picture Credit: huffingtonpost

In my previous two articles on Tamil New Year, I wrote about the two types of solar calendar, the myth of Tamil calendar starting in Thai instead of Chitra, the 60 years cycle and the science of the calendar itself. I even explained in detailed why the Tamil Calendar starts on 1 Chitra. You can read both articles at the following links.

Tamil New Year Date
The Science Behind Tamil Calendar

Today I will explain about another important matter. The Dravidian ideologist claim that the present calendar followed by Tamils is not suitable because the years do not have a numeric value. They claim that only the Tiruvalluvar Calendar has a numeric value.

So according to them, the Gregorian Year 2016 AD is Tiruvalluvar Year 2047 because they claim that Tiruvalluvar was born in 31 BC. But as explained in my previous articles, there is no evidence to show that Tiruvalluvar was born in 31 BC. So we cannot assume. 

Furthermore, Tamil civilization existed for thousands of years even before Tiruvalluvar was born. So it is a great insult to our Tamil society if we cut down the age of our calendar to just 2047 years.

There are 4 Yugas and we are currently in the 4th one known as Kali Yuga. Yugas are a period of time which we call as Epoch in English. The present Yuga or Epoch began somewhere around 18 February 3102 BC. This is equivalent to 1 Chitra Kali Yuga 0.

But at present, 1 Chitra starts somewhere around 13-14 April and not February like how it was 5118 years ago!

The Tamil Calendar is based on Constellation. Constellations are the Zodiacs. They are a coordinates of stars and their position in space is fixed. 

The speed of Earth's own rotation and its orbit around the Sun is not fixed. The speed changes. It can go faster or even slower. This means that a year can be 365 days or 365 days (+ or -) a few minutes/hours. 

To understand this, imagine yourself driving your car in a circle around the roundabout. You need to make complete circles.

1st round 1 minute
2nd round 1 minute + 3 seconds
3rd round 56 seconds
etc


The actual 1 year of Earth is when Earth moves from Point A, orbits around the Sun until it re-enters Point A. It has to make a full circle.

The Westerners invented the Gregorian calendar and they made a rule that once every 4 years, there will be an extra day. This is why our February is either 28 days or 29 days. It is done to accommodate the different length of time of Earth's orbit.

But this Gregorian Calendar is not accurate because although the time is fixed, it will not reflect the actual year or the moment Earth enters Point A.

The ancient Tamils knew the exact moment because their science of astronomy was better than the Westerners. So they made Constellation as the referral point. 

In our calendar, 1 Chitra starts the moment Earth enters into Aries as per the Sidereal system. The Earth then orbits the Sun and the next moment it returns to Point A is taken as the next new year. Point A is the starting point of Aries.

Since the speed changes, the Earth will not always return to Point A at the same time. This is why when Tamil New Year date is announced by temples, they will mention the exact time it starts. This shows that we calculate it so accurately to the exact moment Earth completes the full circle.

Say for example, this year it starts at 5:43 am. Next year it could be 7:15 am. The following year could be 8:23 am. For 3 years, it will be on the same day because minutes of differences will not be noticeable. 

But if we plus or minus minutes for each year for about 5000 years, the difference of the starting point will be so wide that it could be falling on different Gregorian months.

This is why the new year and the new epoch 1 Chitra Kali Yuga 0 started on 18 February 3102 BC. The speed of Earth's orbit around the Sun since then has been changing.

So in 2016 AD, Tamil New Year will start on 14 April which is equivalent to 1 Chitra Kali Yuga 5118.