what is the songkran festival and what does it mean
Songkran (Thailand) Songkran (Thai: เทศกาลสงกรานต์, pronounced [tʰêːt.sā.kāːn sǒŋ.krāːn]; Khmer: សង្រ្កាន្ត; Burmese: သင်္ကြန်; Lao: ສົງການ) is the Thai New Year's national holiday. Songkran is 13 April every year, but the holiday period extends from 14–15 April. In 2018 the Thai cabinet extended the festival nationwide to five days, 12–16 April, to enable citizens to travel home for the holiday.[1] The word "Songkran" comes from the Sanskrit word saṃkrānti (Devanāgarī: संक्रांति),[2] literally "astrological passage", meaning transformation or change. The term was borrowed from Makar Sankranti, the name of a Hindu harvest festival celebrated in India in January to mark the arrival of spring. It coincides with the rising of Aries on the astrological chart[3] and with the New Year of many calendars of South and Southeast Asia, in keeping with the Buddhist/Hindu solar calendar.
Thiruvathira Thiruvathirai or Thiruvathira or Arudhra Darisanam (Malayalam: തിരുവാതിര, Tamil: திருவாதிரை) is a Hindu festival celebrated in the South Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.[1][2][3] Thiruvathirai(Arudhra) in Tamil means "sacred big wave", using which this universe was created by Lord Shiva about 132 trillion years ago. Chidambaram[4] in Tamil Nadu, the Sri Natarajar temple's annual Festival,[5] is celebrated on this date. In the month of Makaram Thiruvathira Star is celebrated in Mathira Peedika Devi Temple, owned by Thiruvithamcore Devaswom Board, near Kadakkal in Kollam District of Kerala state.Thiruvathira has a connection with lord moon.