What is Ugadi and how is the Hindu festival celebrated?
Happy Ugadi 2023! The first day of Chaitra Navratri is finally here.
The festival, which takes place today (March 22) has a very important place in Hindu tradition – but what is it all about, and how is it celebrated?
Here’s all you need to know about Ugadi and its customs.
What is Ugadi?
Ugadi, also known as Yugadi, is a festival celebrating New Year’s Day for Hindus from the Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana states of India.
The term Ugadi means ‘beginning of a new age’, and the festival is celebrated on the first day of the Hindu lunisolar calendar month of Chaitra.
It usually falls in the months of March or April – with 2023 falling on March 22. – with the date changing according to the date of the first New Moon after the March equinox.
How is Ugadi celebrated?
Preparations for the festival begin a week before due to the amount of food and decorations involved. Homes are also cleaned thoroughly. Fresh mango leaves (toranalu) go up around front doors for good luck.
People also buy themselves new clothes for the festival, daub the front of their houses with colourful designs and use coconuts as decorations.
On the day itself, families will begin by showering and covering themselves in perfumed oil, then perform prayers at their temple.
Many festive dishes are prepared, most notably pachadi, a chutney dish with tamarind, raw mango and flowers which reflects sweet, sour, tangy and bitter flavours to reflect the mixed experiences of the coming year.
Bobbattu, which is a kind of poli bread, is eaten with ghee or coconut in Telangana.
In Karnataka a special dish called obbattu, or Holige, is prepared which involves sweet jaggery jam being stuffed in a flat roti-like bread and dipped in milk.
As well as enjoying festivities, Ugadi’s revellers also give to the poor and exchange gifts.
Marathi Hindus celebrate Ugadi, or Gudhi Padva, with street processions, colourful floor decorations, dancing and flag-waving.
Some Hindus celebrate new year at a completely different time to Ugadi. For those in and near Gujarat, the new year festivities coincide with the five day Diwali festival, and others see the new year as falling between Vaisakhi – which falls on April 14 in 2023, according to the solar cycle part of the Hindu lunisolar calendar.
The latter date is by far the most popular not only among Hindus of the Indian subcontinent but also among Buddhists and Hindus in many parts of southeast Asia.
How to wish someone a happy Ugadi
If you know someone who is celebrating you can simply wish them a ‘happy Ugadi’.
However, there are other sayings and good wishes you can also pass on during the festive season, including the following:
- I hope you enjoy this Ugadi with your better health and increased wealth. May prosperity bloom in your family.
- May this new year bring a pot full of luck in it. I hope you and your family enjoy this festival like never before.
- I hope Ugadi’s lights fill your life with brightness and warmth. A very Happy Ugadi to you.
- A promise to promote pleasure and peace is made with a smile and a spirit of humanity, I wish you and your family a happy Ugadi.
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