Fehmida Zakeer

For many of us, the New Year is well under way. By this point, we’ve already made and broken many of our healthful resolutions! But in South India, the New Year falls in spring, not winter — often, although not always, on the vernal equinox — and is accompanied by meticulous traditions in preparation for the celebratory feast. Of course, different states (Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telengana) have different traditions.