The festival of Ugadi falls on the same day as the first Navratri and is celebrated with great enthusiasm and vigor in the South Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana. It is said to be the beginning of the New Year according to the Hindu Lunar calendar. It is taken to be synonymous to the beginning of prosperity, affluence, and growth in one’s life.

festival-of-ugadi-letsdiskuss (Courtesy: The Hindu)

According to the popular belief, Lord Brahma started life on earth on this day. Owing to this belief, Ugadi is celebrated in the bright half of the first day of the month of Chaitra.

The common practices that constitute celebration are making Kolamulus (or Rangoli), decorating doors with mango leaves, exchanging gifts, and indulging in charity so that those who are not as privileged as us can also participate in the festival. People donate new clothes to the needy ones on this day.

The day starts with a special bath which is followed by an oil treatment. Later in the day, the traditional dish of “Pacchadi” is prepared which is an amalgamation of sweet, sour, salty, and bitter tastes.

The festival is celebrated in almost the whole country but with different names. For example, in Maharashtra, it is known as Gudi Padwa, and in Karnataka, it is known as Yugadi.

Ugadi means the beginning of the new age and is associated with the blossoming of flowers and mangos and it comes in the spring season. People read Panchang to know about the coming year on this day.