Saturday, April 11, 2020

428. Tingoḍe aka Singoḍe & Tulu Calendar


We hear occasionally some archaic words in Tulu spoken by elderly people. In the list of archaic Tulu words such as Rumi, Sāyer or Sayir  ( You may read our older Posts on these) etc,   we may add the word  Tingoe  or Singoe’ (ತಿಂಗೊಡೆ/ಸಿಂಗೊಡೆ - pronounced with short vowel.  Most of the present-day young generation may be quite unaware of such archaic word usages.

What is this word Tingoe aka Singoe signify?  Let us elucidate.

Tulu Months

In Tulu Nadu, natives follow a calendar based on Solar system (Sauramāna Paddhati).   Tulu months are:

(1) Paggu : (Mesha = Chaitra-Vaishāka, April-May),

(2) Besha : (Vrishabha = Vaishākha-Jeshtha, May-June),

(3) Kārtel : (Mithuna = Jeshtha- Āshāḍa, June-July),

 (4) Aai : (Karkataka = Āshāḍa -Shrāvana, July-Aug),

(5) Sona : (SimhaShrāvana -Bhādrapada, Aug-Sept),

(6) Kanya/Nirnāl : (Kanya  = Bhādrapada- Ashwayuja, Sept-Oct),

(7) Bontel : (Tula = Ashwayuja -Kārtika, Oct-Nov),

 (8) Jārde: ((Vrishchika = Kārtika -Margashira, Nov-Dec),

(9) Perarde: (Dhanu = Margashira-Pushya, Dec-Jan),

(10) Puyintel : (Makara =  Pushya-Māgha, (Jan-Feb),

(11) Māyi: (Kumbha = Māgha -Phalguna, Feb-March), and

 (12)  Suggi : (Meena = Phalguna-Chaitra, March-April).

 

Tingode > Singode

First day of a Tulu month has been designated “Tingoe or Singoe” and the last day is called “Sankrānti”.  Sankrānti means transition. In other words, Sankrānti refers to   the day when sun appears to enter a new constellation in the sky. So a day following a Sankrānti  is Tingoe or Singoe.  Inversely, a day preceding a Tingoe or Singoe is Sankrānti.

Those who are following Gregorian/Julian Calendar (English Calendar), must have heard  the  All-India Radio  (AIR) one-liner song, “Aaj pahila taarik Hai, Aaj pahila tareek hai  It is repeatedly sung before starting the other AIR programmes.  This is a reminder to listeners to give attention to money matters (namely, payment day, budgeting monthly wages/salaries, payment of recurring outgoings, like for milkman, grocery shops, etc.  We can thus visualise the importance of Tulu first day of a month, involving planning occupational priorities in an agrarian society and other socio-religious rituals.  Traditionally,  Tuluva households  conduct pooja (prayer) in family shrines for the daivas (divine Spirits) on the day of Sankrānti.

Etymology of Tingoe/ Singoe

In our opinion, the word is related to the Tulu word “tingol” (ತಿಂಗೊಳ್), meaning a month. Thus, the word:  tingoe   could have originated as:  ting +oe ( which means the beginning of the month) . 

  Either the ancient   words were designed for brevity or the original nature of these early words must have been brief.  Transition of letters in Tulu leading to regional variations in pronunciations, over a period of time, was a common phenomenon in different   regions.  The consonant   ta () has changed over to   sa (), forming   Singoe as a regional variation of the Tingoe during the passage of time. Now in different Tulu regions the words   Singoe  and   Tingoe   are used interchangeably.

Other equivalents of Tingoe/ Singoe

Other  known  regional / tribal equivalents of the  words Singoe  or   Tingoe   in Tulu language  include: Tingalou, Tingalūu, Tingaludyo, Chingae  etc ( See: Tulu Lexicon , Volume 6, page 2936)

Sauramāna Yugādi 

Sauramāna Yugādi, i.e. Solar New Year, falls on tingoe/ singoe of   Paggu, the first month of Tulu Calendar. The auspicious day is also celebrated   by name of   vishu  (Kerala) or bisu (Tulunadu).   This year, it falls on 14th April, 2020, the next day of Mesha Sankranti.  As per the Indian solar calendar system, the Sun  transits from the star Revati  to  star Ashwini in the sky, appearing to our eyes as a result of the rotation of the earth in relation to Sun. (  In terms of lunar cycle it is usually the seventh day from full moon day or poornima.). The Sauramāna Yugādi is known as Varusa-pirappu, Chitirai-visu or Putanu in Tamilnadu. In Bengal it is known as  "Pohala boishak "(literally: first of Vaishaka), "nabha barsha" (literally: new year). In Odissa, it is known as "Maha vishuba sankranti". In Assam, Sauramāna Yugādi is celebrated as : "Bohag bihu" or "Rongali bihu." In Punjab it is celebrated as "Baisakhi".

Chandramāna Yugādi /Ugādi

In the case of Chandramāna or lunar system , the Yugādi,(beginning day of the lunar year) also known as gudi padva in  Maharashtra  is on first day of the Chaitra month.  Thus,  the  Chandramāna  Yugāadi has been celebrated on 25th of March this year, i.e. on Shukla pādya or pratipada.

Naming System

In Lunar (Chandramāna) system, there is two fortnights - one for the waxing moon (Shukla Paksha)and the other for waning moon (Krishna Paksha).  Each fortnight, days (tithis) are named sequentially as: Pādya, Bidige, Tadige, Chaturthi, Panchami, Shashti, Saptami, Ashtami, Navami, Dashami, Ekādashi, Dwādashi, Trayodashi and Chaturdashi (Shukla  Paksha 14 + Krishna Paksha 14 +2 - one for Poornima (Full Moon Day) and the other for Amavashye (New Moon Day).  The month starts with Shukla Paksha and ends with Krishna Paksha.

We think, there has been a naming system for all days of a Tuluva month in Solar (Sauramāna) System.  The Tulu months   begin with tingoe/ singoe  and ends with a Sankrānti.  What were the other names used for other days in the Tulu months?  There may be some elderly people who are still   aware of these names in the traditional Tulu day naming system, now largely forgotten.   We have tried to elicit information but so far not successful.  If any of our readers are aware these forgotten names for days in Tulu month, please share the data with us in this blog.

In lighter vein, there is an old idiom in Tulu language: ಕೆಬಿ ಕೇಣಂದಿನಾಯಡ ಗುಟ್ಟು  ಪಾತೆರುನು.“  (kebi kenandināyada  guṭṭu  pāterunu). On literal translation, this means:  Discussing   a secret   with  a deaf man.  It is a ridicule of a man doing useless work.  

 We hope we are   not doing such exercises.    We sincerely anticipate meaningful feedbacks   from our readers to make our efforts worthwhile.

Suggested Reading in  this blog:  Tulu Studies - Previous Posts:

 # 338/ 24.05.2014 -   Tulu Calendar,

 #  348/ 29.07.2015 -  Rumi,

 # 358/ 02.04.2016 -   Sayer  or Sayir

 

We wish all our readers a happy and prosperous Sauramāna Yugādi , with a sincere prayer that the auspicious day give us all strength to renew our energy levels  to fight courageously the dreaded disease covid- 19 caused by Corona Virus, in spite of many hardships caused by lock-down.  Let us spiritedly adhere to lock-down instructions to the letter, to drive away the common foe.

 

 

Ravindra Mundkūr   &  Hosabeṭṭu Vishwanāth


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Books for Reference

  • A Comparative Study of Tulu Dialects By Dr. Padmanabha Kekunnaya. Govinda Pai Reserach Centre, UDupi. 1994
  • Koti Chennaya: Janapadiya Adhyayana. By Dr. Vamana Nandavar. Hemanshu Prakashana ,Mangalore.2001.
  • Male kudiyaru. Dr B. A.Viveka Rai and D.Yadupathi Gowda, Mangalore University,1996.
  • Mogaveera Samskriti By Venkataraja Punimchattaya. Karnataka Sahitya Academy.1993.
  • Mugeraru:Jananga Janapada Adhyayana. By Dr Abhaya Kumar Kaukradi.Kannada & Culture Directorate,Bangalore & Karnataka Tulu Academy, Mangalore,1997.
  • Puttubalakeya Pad-danagalu. Ed: Dr B.A.Viveka Rai,Yadupati Gowda and Rajashri, Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheswara Tulu Peeta. Mangalore University.2004
  • Se'erige. Ed:Dr K.Chinnapa Gowda.Madipu Prakashana,Mangalagangotri,2000.
  • Studies in Tuluva History and Culture.by Dr P Gururaja Bhat (1975).Milagres College,Kallinapur,Udupi.
  • Taulava Sanskriti by Dr.B.A.Viveka Rai, Sahyadri Prakashana,Mysore 1977
  • TuLu naaDu-nuDi By Dr.PalthaDi Ramakrishna Achar, Puttur.
  • TuLu NighanTu. (Editor in Chief: Dr U.P.Upadhyaya, Govinda Pai Research Centre,Udupi. Six volumes. 1988 to 1997
  • Tulu Patero-A Philology & Grammar of Tulu Language by Budhananda Shivalli.2004.Mandira Prakashana Mangalore. p.317. (The book is in Tulu Language using Kannada script)
  • TuLunadina ShasanagaLa Sanskritika Adhyayana. By Shaila T. Verma (2002) Jnanodaya Prakashana,Bangalore, p.304.(Kannada)
  • Tuluvala Baliyendre. Compiled by N.A.Sheenappa Hegde,Polali,Sri Devi Prakashana,Parkala,1929/1999

A Coastal estuary

A Coastal estuary
Holegadde near Honavar,Uttara Kannada dist, Karnataka

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