Questions about Navreh Thaal

Mrs. Prabhavati Raina, Mrs. Sushma Bhan, Mr. Surinder Kaul, U.S.A.

Q1. What is the significance of the early morning thaal, and all the items on it?

Navreh Thaal
Courtesy: Dalip Langoo

It is for "jaang" for the new year. All the items that are laid on the thaal of tomul are: 

- jantri

- posh (flower)

- doon & doon goj (shelled & unshelled walnut) 

- madrear phol (sugar piece like nabad)

- meel and kalam (ink pot & pen ... was replaced by ink-pen) 

- baath phol (cooked rice)

- chot (roti)

- rup rupeyae (silver rupee)

- jamu-dodh (yogurt)

- aenna (mirror)

- noon (salt)

All the items on the thaal are our daily use items, quite essential for the normal daily routine. By having them in the thaal, we are wishing to be provided with all these essential items for the coming year. Mirror is something we use everyday, too. Some would use daniya (unshelled rice) instead of tomul in the taal. Just as talwar was important for Rajputs, so was the pen for the KPs, rest (money & food) is commonly used in other cultures. 

Q2. Is there any other reason behind the concept of wearing new clothes besides poverty? 

On special occasions like Navreh, birthdays, shishur, etc., new clothes were worn because year round there was "gorbath". It was auspicious to wear new clothes on such special occasions.