Chennai, April 14 (IANS) Tamils heralded the Tamil New Year Monday with traditional fervour.

The morning began with visits to temples and meeting or greeting relatives, friends and neighbours.

The Tamil New Year is celebrated on the first day of the Tamil month Chithirai, which normally falls on April 13 or 14.

On this day, houses are decorated with ‘rangoli’. Mango leaf streamers adorn the door frames.

All the popular temples of Chennai including the Kapaleeswarar temple and the Sri Parthasarathy temple were crowded with devotees.

At major temples, the almanac for the New Year was read.

At home, people feasted on dishes like vada and ‘payasam’.

The special dish of the day is ‘Mango Pachidi’ made with neem flowers, jaggery, mango, green chilli, salt and tamarind juice representing the six major emotions that humans experience.