Introduction
Ugadi is a Hindu festival celebrated in India and by Indian diaspora around the world. It marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year and is usually celebrated in March or April. The festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm and joy, with people exchanging sweets and gifts, and performing traditional rituals and customs. The festival is celebrated with much fanfare in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra.
History of Ugadi
Ugadi has been celebrated since ancient times and is believed to have originated in the Vedic period. According to Hindu mythology, the festival marks the beginning of the Hindu calendar, which is known as the Vikram Samvat. It is believed that the Hindu calendar was created by sage Vishwamitra, and the day of Ugadi was chosen as the first day of the year.
The word ‘Ugadi’ is derived from two Sanskrit words – ‘Ug’ meaning ‘beginning’ and ‘Adi’ meaning ‘era’. Thus, the festival marks the beginning of a new era, and is celebrated with much enthusiasm and joy.
When to celebrate Ugadi
Ugadi is usually celebrated in the month of March or April, depending on the Hindu lunar calendar. It is celebrated on the first day of the Hindu month of Chaitra, which is the first month of the Hindu calendar. In 2024, it will be celebrated on 9th April.
Significance of Ugadi
Ugadi is a very significant festival in the Hindu culture, and is celebrated to mark the beginning of a new era. The festival is considered to be a time for new beginnings, and is seen as a time to let go of the past and start afresh. It is believed that the festival is a time to make resolutions, and people make new resolutions and strive to achieve them during the course of the year.
The festival is also seen as a time to remember and honour the gods and goddesses, and people perform traditional rituals and customs to seek their blessings.
How to celebrate Ugadi
Ugadi is celebrated with much enthusiasm and joy, with people exchanging sweets and gifts. People also decorate their homes with flowers and rangoli designs. On the day of Ugadi, people wake up early and take a bath, and then perform a puja to seek the blessings of the gods and goddesses.
After the puja, people exchange sweets and gifts, and then prepare a special dish called ‘Ugadi Pachadi’, which is made from a mixture of six ingredients such as jaggery, raw mango, neem flowers, tamarind, salt, and green chillies. This dish symbolizes the different flavours of life, and is a reminder that life is a mixture of both good and bad experiences.
People also listen to stories of the Hindu epics and recite prayers, and then feast on traditional dishes. At the end of the day, people light lamps in their homes to signify the beginning of a new era.
Summary
Ugadi is a Hindu festival celebrated to mark the beginning of the Hindu New Year. It is celebrated in the month of March or April, and is a time for new beginnings. People exchange sweets and gifts, perform rituals and customs, and prepare a special dish called ‘Ugadi Pachadi’. The festival is celebrated with much enthusiasm and joy, and is a time to remember and honour the gods and goddesses. You can explore other festivals such as Mahashivratri and Pongal.