New year · Brahma, Vishnu
Ugadi / Gudi Padwa
The Hindu new year of the Deccan: a fresh start marked with neem, jaggery and a raised gudi.
Also known as: Yugadi, Samvatsarādi, Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, Hindu New Year
Date and muhurat
✓ 28.6519°N, 77.2315°E · Asia/Kolkata
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When is it observed?
On Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, the first day of the bright fortnight of the month of Chaitra, usually in March or April. The date is the day on which Pratipada is present at sunrise.
About Ugadi / Gudi Padwa
Ugadi, called Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra, is the first day of the lunar new year for much of the Deccan: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra. Homes are cleaned, doorways are hung with mango leaves, and people take an oil bath and put on new clothes.
The day opens with prayers and the reading of the Panchanga, the almanac for the year ahead, and a festive meal is shared with family. Spring is in the air, mango and neem are in bloom and the new season begins.
Significance
Tradition holds that this is the day on which Brahma began the creation of the universe, which is why the word Yugadi means the beginning of an age. It is also associated with the coronation of kings in more than one story, and with new beginnings of all kinds.
The most distinctive symbol is taste itself. Ugadi pachadi blends sweet, sour, bitter, salty, pungent and astringent flavours, a gentle reminder that the year will hold joy, sorrow and surprise in turn, and that all of it is to be accepted with equanimity.
How the new year is welcomed
- 1Clean the house, draw rangoli at the entrance and hang a toran of fresh mango leaves over the door.
- 2Before sunrise, apply sesame oil and take a head bath, then put on new or clean clothes.
- 3In Maharashtra, raise the gudi: a bamboo staff topped with a bright silk cloth, neem and mango leaves, a garland of sugar crystals (gathi) and an upturned copper or silver pot, placed on the right of the door or in a window.
- 4Offer prayers to the family deity, to Brahma and to the new year, with flowers, incense and a lamp.
- 5Prepare and taste Ugadi pachadi (in Andhra and Karnataka: Bevu-Bella), made with raw mango, jaggery, neem flowers, tamarind, salt and chilli. In Maharashtra, eat neem leaves with jaggery.
- 6Listen to or read the Panchanga Shravanam, the almanac recital of the coming year, in the family or at the temple.
- 7Enjoy the festive meal (such as puran poli, bobbatlu, obbattu or shrikhand) and visit elders and friends for blessings.
The story
According to Puranic tradition, Brahma began the work of creation on this day, and some accounts link the day with Vishnu's fish incarnation, who is said to have recovered the Vedas from the floodwaters. For this reason it is treated as the starting point of time itself.
In Maharashtra, accounts differ on the gudi's origin: it is said to recall Rama's return to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana, or the victory of Shalivahana, from whom the Shalivahana Shaka era takes its name. The raised gudi is thus a banner of victory and prosperity.
What to do
- ✓Take an early oil bath and wear new or clean clothes.
- ✓Decorate the door with mango leaves and rangoli.
- ✓Taste the pachadi or neem with jaggery with a calm mind.
- ✓Listen to the Panchanga and set good resolutions for the year.
- ✓Visit elders and share sweets.
What to avoid
- ✕Do not start the day late or leave the house untidy.
- ✕Avoid anger, arguments and negative talk on the first day.
- ✕Do not skip the bitter taste of the pachadi; it is part of the meaning.
- ✕Avoid wasting food, which is cooked in large quantity.
Around the country
- Andhra Pradesh and Telangana: Ugadi with pachadi, bobbatlu and Panchanga Shravanam at home and in temples.
- Karnataka: Yugadi, with Bevu-Bella (neem and jaggery), obbattu and a visit to the temple.
- Maharashtra and Goa: Gudi Padwa, with the gudi raised in front of houses and shobha yatras in cities.
- Sindhi community: the new year is Cheti Chand, kept on Chaitra Shukla Dwitiya, usually a day after Ugadi. Kashmir: Kashmiri Pandits keep Navreh, their new year, on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada.
Frequently asked questions
Why are Ugadi and Gudi Padwa on the same day?
Both are the lunisolar new year, beginning on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada. Only the name and local customs differ between the Telugu, Kannada and Marathi regions.
What goes into Ugadi pachadi?
Commonly jaggery (sweet), tamarind (sour), neem flowers (bitter), salt, raw mango (tangy) and chilli or pepper (hot), standing for the different experiences of life.
What if Pratipada spans two days?
The festival is kept on the day on which Pratipada is present at sunrise. The date on this page is worked out for your city on that rule.