Ugadi
Ugadi – also called Ugaadi, Samvatsaraadi, Yugadi – is the New Year’s Day according to the Vedic Luni-Solar calendar. It is the first day of the month of Chaitra and usually falls in the month of March or April of the year. This festival is celebrated by people in the states of Karnataka (Bevu-Bella), Andhra, Telangana and Maharashtra (Gudi Padwa). It is also celebrated by Punjabis (Baisakhi), Sindhis (Cheti Chand), Rajasthanis (Thapna), Tamils (Puthandu), Manipuris (Sajibu Nongma Panba), and the Hindus of Bali and Indonesia (Nyepi). The word Ugadi is derived from the Sanskrit root words Yuga (Age) and Adi (Beginnings). It is literally translated as the start of the New Year.
Ugadi marks the onset of spring and coincides with the harvest season. Nature blooms with new leaves, new buds, bright sunlight – it’s an auspicious time for beginnings new ventures and business transactions. These are carried out after religious observances.
In India this festival is celebrated with great fanfare with purchasing and wearing of new clothes and jewelry.
Special dishes are prepared for feasts on the occasion.
On this day the new year’s Hindu almanac, called Panchanga, is published and read. This reading is done in informal settings and the event is called the Panchanga Sravanam. It is believed that special blessings are bestowed on those who read and/or listen to the Panchanga.
How to Celebrate
Items required for puja
The following items should be purchased prior to the puja day.
On the day of the puja; clean the stove and draw Rangoli, if possible, tie a string of mango leaves by the front door. Take an oil bath, wear new clothes and follow the steps of the puja:
- Picture or Idol of God/Goddess in the Pooja room
- Buy Panchanga
- Plain water in Kalash (pitcher)
- Fresh and washed mango leaves
- Fresh grass
- Sandalwood
- One coconut
- Kumkum
- Turmeric
- Rice
- Betel leaves and betel nuts
- Flowers, fruits
Puja at home (process) (Link to the complete puja process)
Watch Video
Hindu worship or puja at home requires idols (murtis/deity) and prayers (mantras). Usually the deity(s) or pictures are kept in a quiet place called a puja room. Puja in Sanskrit means “honor” or “worship”. We welcome God or Goddess the same way as we welcome our guests. If time is of the essence, the following steps can be taken for the puja:
- Sit on a small carpet or low stool (raised wood plank) facing North or East.
- Create an altar for your home God/Goddess.
- Clean the place and God/Goddess by sprinkling few drops of water. Use a separate cloth to wipe the deity and later, apply Haldi (turmeric) & Kumkum to the God/Goddess.
- Keep the Panchanga in front of the altar
- Light lamps and place in front of the altar.
- Keep betel leaves, nuts, flowers and fruits in a plate in front of The God/Goddess.
- After keeping the items in front of the God/Goddess, begin with Ganesh or Vishwaksena puja.
- Then, start chanting shlokas or mantras as per your family traditions.
- Complete Panchanga puja
- After worshiping with shlokas, you decorate the God/Goddess with flowers and offer Naivedyam.
- Light aarti diya and perform aarti.
- Finally, conclude with Pradakshina (circumambulation, which means going in a clockwise direction) namaskar at the end of puja.
- Give everyone present, prasad which you offered as Naivedyam.
Suggested Chants
- Ganesha stotra or Vishvaksana stotra
- Family traditional puja stotra
Activities for kids
- Creating rangoli
- Shopping for new clothes
- Creating greeting cards for friends and family
Ugadi Delicacies for puja
On this day a special delicacy is prepared, especially the “Ugadi Pachadi” or “bahu bella”. This dish is made up of 5 ingredients jaggery, neem flowers, raw mango, salt, chili powder and tamarind paste. It is a symbolic reminder of the phases of life that one would experience in the New Year!
- Neem flowers are for bitter taste that symbolizes the difficulties in life.
- Tamarind is for sour taste that symbolizes challenges.
- Chili powder is for spicy taste that symbolizes angry or upsetting moments.
- Unripe mango is for tangy taste that symbolizes surprises.
- Salt is for salty taste that symbolizes interest in life.
- Jaggery is for sweet taste that symbolizes happiness.
Why did our ancestors prescribe all these delicacies for us? As per Ayurveda all the spices we use have Benefits. They used combinations to help us be healthy spiritually as well bodily. Experts have said Neem has great medicinal value in curing toxic infections. Jaggery taken with neem removes the bitterness of the neem and renders it palatable.
As one consumes this mixture, the following is chanted:
“Jeevanavella behu bella
Aritu baluvane kaligala malla”
Meaning, the whole life is but a mixture of happiness and sorrow. The one who leads a life with this understanding is indeed a strong man. There are other customs that families follow, please check with your family.
So, taking these combinations ultimately removes Vata, Pitta and Kapha and acts as a general remedy for all diseases according to our ancestors.