Ugadi or Yugadi, also known as Samvatsarādi is New Year’s Day according to the Hindu calendar and is celebrated in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Goa in India. It is festively observed in these regions on the first day of the Hindu lunisolar calendar month of Chaitra. This typically falls in April month of the Gregorian calendar. It also falls during the Tamil month of either Panguni or Chithrai, sometimes on the day after Amavasya with 27th Nakshatra Revati. Ugadi day is pivoted on the first New Moon after March Equinox.
About the Festival
The day is observed by drawing colourful patterns on the floor called Muggulu, mango leaf decorations on doors called torana, buying and giving gifts such as new clothes, giving charity to the poor, oil massages followed by special baths, preparing and sharing a special food called pachadi, and visiting Hindu temples.
The pachadi is a notable festive food that combines all flavors – sweet, sour, salty, bitter, astringent and piquant. In Telugu and Kannada Hindu traditions, it is a symbolic reminder that one must expect all flavors of experiences in the coming new year and make the most of them. Followers of the Souramana calendar system observe Ugadi in Karnataka, when the sun transits into the Aries Constellation, which is also the festival of Baisakhi, and is locally known as Souramana Ugadi or Mesha Sankranti.
This has been an important and historic festival of the Hindus, with medieval texts and inscriptions recording major charitable donations to Hindu temples and community centers on this day. The same day is observed as a New Year by Hindus in many other parts of India, such as Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra and is a national public holiday in Mauritius.
The festivities coincide with “Chaitra Navratri” celebrated in north Indian states and “Gudi Padwa” celebrated in the central state of Maharashtra. The festival is called “Ugadi” in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, while in Karnataka it is called “Yugadi”.
This year the festival will be celebrated on 22nd March.
2023 Date and Time
Date Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Pratipada Tithi Begins10:52 PM on Mar 21, 2023
Pratipada Tithi Ends08:20 PM on Mar 22, 2023
History
According to Hindu mythology, it is believed that Lord Brahma started creation of the universe on Ugadi. The first day of the nine-day festival that celebrates the nine forms of Goddess Durga – Chaitra Navratri – is celebrated as Ugadi to mark the beginning of the creation of mankind by Lord Brahma. In 12th century, Indian mathematician Bhaskaracharya identified Ugadi as the beginning of the new year, new month and a new day.
Yuga means period, and adi means the commense of something. Yugadi marks Lord Brahma’s labour of creating the universe. It is also the festival that marks the onset of spring and the milder weather, after the harsh cold of the winter. This joyous occasion is celebrated with happiness and togetherness with our near and dear ones.
Ugadi 2023 Celebrations
From floral patterns on floor to the sumptuous meals representing the cuisines of the states, Ugadi brings with itself the freshness of a new year and happiness among people. Ugadi symbolises that people must experience all flavours in the coming new year and should bask in the goodness of life.
Preparations for Ugadi celebrations start before a week of the festival. People clean their homes and buy new clothes. House entrances are decorated with mango leaves. On the day of the festival, people sprinkle the area around their homes with water mixed in cow dung. Then they decorate their floor with flowers and rangolis. After worshipping their gods, they welcome the new year. In many parts of south India, devotees start the day with an oil bath. Relatives gather together to celebrate as well.
Last year it was celebrated on 2nd April’2022.
The Telugu, Kannada, Kodava and the Tulu diaspora in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu celebrate the festival with great fanfare; gatherings of the extended family and a sumptuous feast. The day begins early with ritual showers, rubbing the body with perfumed oil, followed by prayers.
Foods
Special dishes are prepared for the occasion. In Karnataka, foods such as Holige or Obattu, and mango pickles are made. In addition, a speciality of yugadi in Karnataka is to create “bevu-bella” a mixture of neem and jaggery. This symbolizes life’s own experiences with a little bit of bitternes and a hint of sweetness. In Andhra Pradesh, foods such as pulihora, bobbatlu (Bhakshalu/ polelu/ oligale), New Year Burelu and Pachadi, and preparations made with raw mango go well with the occasion.
Of these, pachadi (or Ugadi pacchadi) is the most notable, and consists of a chutney-like dish which combines ingredients to give all six flavours of food sweet, sour , salty , spicy , bitter and astringent . This festive Hindu food is made from tamarind paste (sour), neem flowers (bitter), brown sugar or sweet jaggery (sweet), table salt (salt), green chilli (spicy) and raw mango (astringent). It is a symbolic reminder of complex phases of life one should reasonably expect in the new year.
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