This is the season of spring and freshness around. The trees with full bloom flowers adorn the sidewalks of every neighborhood. It is believed that the creator of Hindu pantheon Lord Bramha started his creation on this day- Chaitra suddha Padhyami. The vibrancy of life and verdant fields, meadows full of colorful blossoms signifies growth, prosperity and well-beings. Ugadi marks the beginning of a new Hindu lunar calendar with a change in the moon’s orbit. It is a day when mantras are chanted, and predictions made for the new year.
Preparations for the festival begin a week ahead. Houses are given a thorough wash. Fresh ghee is made for the special festival sweet- Obattu. Shopping for new clothes and buying other items that go with the requirements of the festival are done with a lot of excitement.
Ugadi is celebrated with festive fervor in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. While it is called Ugadi in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, in Maharashtra it is known as Gudipadava. On Ugadi, people wake up before dawn and take a head bath after which they decorate the entrance of their houses with fresh mango leaves. The significance of tying mango leaves relates to a legend. (It is said that Kartikeya (Subramanya Swamy) and Ganesha, the two sons of Lord Siva and Goddess Parvathi were very fond of mangoes. As the legend goes Kartikeya encouraged people to tie green mango leaves to the doorway signifying a good crop and general well-being)
People also splash fresh cow dung water on the ground in front of their house and draw colorful floral designs called Rangoli. This is a common sight in every household. People perform the ritualistic worship to God invoking his blessings before they start off with the new year. They pray for their health, wealth and prosperity and success in business too. Ugadi is also the most auspicious time to start new ventures. Bevu (Neem leaves) & bella (Jaggery) is offered after puja signifying that life is a mixture of joys and sorrows and we should accept both in the right spirit. Traditionally, the panchangasravana or listening to the yearly calendar was done at the temples or at the Town square but with the onset of modern technology, one can get to hear the priest-scholar on television sets right in one’s living room.
Special dishes are prepared for the occasion. In Karnataka, the delicacies include a full meal platter with salt, mango chutney, Palya, kosambari, payasa, tovve, mango rice, obattu and obattu saaru. Similarly, every region has their region-specific special food for the day. Ugadi pachadi prepared with six different tastes signifies that the life is combination of happiness, sadness, anger, disgust and surprise The celebration of Ugadi is marked by religious zeal and social merriment, many visit temples to seek blessings in their new attire and celebrate with friends and family. Ugadi is thus a festival of many shades. The ushers in the new year, brings a rich bounce of flora and fills the hearts of people with joy and contentment.
Wishing you all a very happy Ugadi.
jo's platter 
Leave a comment