Twitter celebrates Puthandu and Vishu with first ever emoji

As Tamilians and Malayalis prepare to ring in the new year with the festivals of Puthandu and Vishu around the corner, Twitter is adding to the celebrations by rolling out a special emoji. The first ever emoji for Puthandu and Vishu will go live on 14th April at 9 am and will be available until 15th April. Various celebrities, including critically acclaimed actor Mohanlal (@Mohanlal), will join in the celebrations by wishing people a Happy Puthandu and Vishu.

To encourage more people to join in the celebrations in their own language, people can Tweet with the following Tamil, Malayalam and English hashtags #HappyPuthandu, #புத்தாண்டுநல்வாழ்த்துக்கள், #HappyVishu, #വിഷുആശംസകൾ and the emoji will appear. The emoji is designed to represent people celebrating Puthandu and Vishu by holding diyas, symbolic of the welcoming of prosperity and happiness during the year.

We are happy to celebrate the Tamil and Malayalam new year with a special #HappyPuthandu and #HappyVishu emoji launching tomorrow! Tweet with the English, Tamil #புத்தாண்டுநல்வாழ்த்துக்கள் or Malayalam #വിഷുആശംസകൾ Hashtags this weekend to see the special emoji appear. pic.twitter.com/0SVLTNJDLB

— Twitter India (@TwitterIndia) April 13, 2018

Commenting on the launch, Keya Madhvani-Singh, Head of Entertainment Partnerships, Twitter India, said: “People visit Twitter to see what’s happening around the world and what everyone is talking about. We want to encourage more people to know about the diverse cultures in India, join in the celebrations and celebrate in their own language. We're excited to celebrate Puthandu and Vishu with a special Twitter emoji which will be activated through English, Tamil and Malayalam hashtags.”

The new emoji adds to the number of customized emojis Twitter has created to celebrate cultural festivals in India, including significant moments such as Ganesh Chaturthi, Guru Nanak Jayanti, Ambedkar Jayanti and Diwali.