Category: Indian New Year

Ugadi or Yugadi marks the start of the Telugu New Year. The festival has derived its name from “Yuga Aadi” implying New Age. According to the Hindu calendar, the date of the Telugu New Year usually varies. However, as per the Saka calendar, Telugu New Year falls on the first day of Chaitra month.

The natives of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka use the word Ugadi or Yugadi for Telugu New Year. With the onset of spring, this New Year brings in the message of happiness for all. In simple words, Telugu New Year symbolizes new life blooming with fruit bearing trees, fresh flowers and chirping birds. It is often believed that Lord Brahma stated creation on this very day.

A well-known festival amongst Hindus, Telugu New Year is celebrated from as early as the Ramayana Period. On this day, mantras were chanted and predictions were made for the coming year. This tradition continues even today as you will find priests forecasting new events and making people aware of what this year has in store for them.

Telugu New Year Rituals

Telugu New Year is commonly celebrated in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Similar to other religions, here too you will find legendary associations. On this day, you will find people waking up before dawn and getting ready for the preparations. They apply coconut oil on their bodies, take a head to toe bath and wear new clothes. Early in the morning, you will find them carrying fresh mango leaves so as to decorate the entrance of their homes.

Now, why they tie mango leaves at the entrances is related to legendary evidences. It is believed that Lord Ganesha and Karthik were extremely fond of mangoes. According to the legendary evidences, Karthik urged people to tie green mango leaves at their entrances and made them believe that it would lead to their well-being.

Besides, you will also find people splashing cow dung water in front of their home. Rangoli at the entrances is a common view as well. You will also find the natives performing various other rituals so as to seek the blessings of Gods and Goddesses and give a perfect start to their New Year.  People pray for their prosperity, well being, wealth and health on Telugu New Year. Besides, business professionals also find this the best time to execute fresh ventures.

Telugu New Year Celebrations

Natives start making preparations a week before the arrival of the major date. As a part of preparations, people clean their houses and neighborhood streets, decorate them with mango leaves. Usually, people love to do shopping during the time, and as a part of it, they do make sure to buy all necessary items related to Telugu New Year traditions, as well as new clothes and gifts for everyone in the house. There is a tradition of exchanging gifts such as silk sarees, dhoti, pootarelullu, and sweets (such as kaja, pala kova) with relatives and close friends.

On the day of Telugu New Year, people wake up early in the morning, apple coconut oil over their bodies, take a bath, and then wear new clothes for the day. People make sure to make a visit to the temples along with their families. There, they offer prayers to the God for happy and peaceful times ahead, apart from fulfilling all required traditions for the day such as reciting the Mantra, listening to Panchanga Sravanam, and participating in the predictions making process carried out by the priests of the temple.

In the evening time, special feasts are organized. Sometimes, people also call close friends and relatives of the extended family to be a part of it. As a part of the feast offering, people prepare a traditional sauce, which is referred as ‘Ugandi Pachchadi’. His traditional sauce has an entire recipe, as part of which different ingredients such as neem leaves, jiggery, raw mango, and tamarind juice are used. Consumption of this sauce is considered to symbolize for a smooth journey in the year ahead.

Telugu New Year is a time, when people give equal amount of significance to good times as well as bad times. The moments of failures, disappointments, and sorrows are considered as the moments of learning new experiences of life. One learns from them, and optimistically hopes for a better future ahead. At the end, one makes a resolution for the coming year, and prays to God to confer one with success, health, wealth, and prosperity for the coming time. Telugu New Year is considered as an auspicious time to initiate anything new in personal life or professional life. Doing so is considered to ensure success in the initiated work. Thus, one finds many people doing so on the day .

Delicacies prepared on Telugu New Year

Social merriment and religious zeal are the two prominent features of Telugu New Year. Besides the rituals, women also prepare special delicacies for the occasion. After the morning prayers, you will find all friends and family members gathering for the traditional sauce called “Ugadi pachchadi”.  Ugadi pachchadi” ( a chutney) is a popular dish that is exclusively prepared on Telugu New Year. It is prepared using new tamarind, neem flowers, raw mango and new jaggerry. Now, the combination of sweet, bitter and sour in one particular dish conveys a practical message that life brings in variety of shades, i.e. sweet memories, bitter experiences and sour feelings.

In Andhra Pradesh, delicacies like bobbatlu, pulihora teamed up with raw mango preparations are made. Similarly, natives of Karnataka prepare delicacies like holige and puliogure.

 

Indian New Year

Assamese	Bengali	Gujarati
Marwari	Malayalam	Marathi
Punjabi	Sikkimese	Tamil
Telugu	Ugadi

 

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Ugadi is the celebration of the New Year’s Day in the regions of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. This is the same day when the Maharashtrians celebrate the Gudi Padwa.

According to traditional beliefs, this is the day when the creator of all, Lord Brahma, after a great deluge, created the Earth. Thus this day, in the month of Chaitra, according to the traditional Hindu calendar and March or April according to the Gregorian calendar marks the beginning of New Year.

Karnataka calls this day Yugadi, while the Marwaris in Rajasthan call this day Thapna, the Sindhis call this day the Cheti Chand and the Manipuris call this day the Sajibu Nongma Panba. According to the scripture Chandramana, Ugadi is celebrated in the Shukla paksha or the bright fortnight of the first season and the first month of the year.

 

Origin of the word Ugadi

The origin of the word Ugadi can be traced to the Sanskrit word of Yuga meaning age, epoch or an era and Adi meaning the very beginning. On this day it is believed that the Samvatsara, or the cycle of sixty years starts.

 

Observance of the Ugadi

The day of Ugadi begins with the traditional ritualistic holy bath with oil. Prior to that all the houses are given a thorough cleaning to usher in the New Year and seek blessings from the God. Post having the bath, people decorate their houses with green mango leaves. Water mixed with cowdung is sprinkled outside the houses.

Mango leaves are said to be extremely auspicious as Kartikeya and Ganesha, both the sons of Lord Shiva were very fond of Mangoes, and would advise people to tie mango leaves in their doors to indicate if they have had an excellent season of mangoes. However, post this the houses are decorated with colorful floral designs or rangolis. Pots called kalasam s with coconuts are kept to seek divine blessings.  Ritualistic prayers and worship to God is done to seek their blessings for the ensuing years. Devotees seek blessings for health, wealth and prosperity for themselves and their near and dear ones. This is also considered the best time to initiate any kind of ventures.

 

Special delicacies of Ugadi

Ugadi Pachchadi is the symbolic and revered delicacy that is mandated in Ugadi to be savored. It is a ceremonial preparation. It is also known as Bevu-Bella in Kannada. It has an admixture of various ingredients symbolizing the various feeling of life. This special mixture has all the tastes that the tongue or the taste buds can perceive and is considered to be a glimpse of what life is or can be. The tastes are as following –

• Neem Leaves or Flowers for their bitterness, signifying the sadness in life,
• Jaggery or Gur for its sweetness, signifying happiness,
• Green chili or pepper for its hotness, signifying anger in life,
• Salt for the saltiness representing fear in life,
• Tamarind Juice for its sourness, signifying the feeling of disgust and
• Unripened mangoes for their tanginess signifying surprises of life.

 

Apart from this, a special dish called Obattu or Holige is prepared in Karnataka. This is made of gram and jiggery or sugar mixed together and stuffed in a flat roti and consumed with either ghee or milk or coconut milk toppings. In Karnataka a special dish called Bobbattu or Oliga are prepared for this special occasion. In the Telengana district this same is known as the Bhakshalu.

 

Almanac Recitation

People on this day traditionally gather to listen to the predictions of the year ahead from the almanac. This is called the Panchangam Sravanam  which is an informal get together where an elderly person reads out the almanac.

 

Kavi Sammelan

Kavi Sammelan or a poetry recital festival is also an integral part of the Ugadi. This is the time when people look forward to having some kind of a literary fest with aspiring and veteran poets coming together on one stage.

Thus Ugadi is a festival with numerous shades in it. It ushers in the new year with ritualistic flavours filling up people’s lives with hope and joy.

 

Indian New Year

Assamese	Bengali	Gujarati
Marwari	Malayalam	Marathi
Punjabi	Sikkimese	Tamil
Telugu	Ugadi

 

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India being a land of diversity is made of numerous states and each and every state has their own rich cultural heritage and traditions, which make this country and its innumerable celebrations so very interesting.

Puthandu or Tamil New Year is the celebration of the New Year observed by the people in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in India. Tamils in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius and Singapore too observe this day with fanfare and enthusiasm.

This very auspicious occasion is also known as Varusha Pirappu. It is generally believed that on this auspicious day, Lord Brahma started his creations, thus the day is considered to be exceptionally holy.

 

• Date of the Puthandu

Following the Vernal Equinox or the Mesha Sankranti, this date should have been nearer March, but is now celebrated somewhere in the traditional Hindu month of Chaitra or April according to the Gregorian calendar. It is generally observed on the 14th of April according to the Gregorian calendar and is a public holiday in Tamil Nadu. Thus traditionally the Tamil New year starts on the 14th of April, which is the Kali Yuga 5118.

 

• Celebration of the Puthandu

Puthandu is the New Year for the Tamil observed in the month of Chitterai, which is also the first month of the Tamil Solar calendar. On the last day of the last year, which is on the eve of Puthandu, all Tamilian household prepare a tray. This tray is laden with three kinds of fruits – mango, banana and jackfruit, areca nuts and couple of betel leaves, gold or silver jewellery, a mirror, some cash or money , rice,  coconuts and flowers are kept. This is to be viewed the first thing in the morning. This tradition is called the kanni, which loosely translates into auspicious sight. People believe that an auspicious sight will lead the year to be auspicious and fulfilling.  Post the Kanni, people have a cleansing bath and throng to the temples to seek divine blessings.

 

The houses are all decorated with beautiful and colorful kolams. In the center of the Kolams is a lamp called the kuthuvillakku.  This lamp is lit because it is firmly believed that it is that the loght of this lamp will dispel all darkness.

 

Another highlight of the Puthandu is the reading of the Panchangam or the almanac. This is a traditional activity where people all sit together along with the most elderly person who reads out from the almanac about the ensuing year.

 

• Celebrations in Tamil Nadu

In the temple city of Madurai the month long celebration called the Chithirai Thiruvizha is celebrated. It is the longest celebration in the world and goes on for a month. The first 15 days is dedicated to the Goddess Meenakshi and the rest 15 days is for Alagar, who is worshipped in a form of Lord Vishnu. Huge exhibitions and fairs are held called Chitterai Porutkaatchi, which in the southern part of Tamil Nadu is called is called the Chittirai Vishu.

 

To celebrate this auspicious New Year, people all wear new clothes and the best of delicacies are cooked in the Tamilian households. The highlight of the festivity is the consumption of the Maanga Pachadi. This is an unique preparation made out of Jaggery, raw mangoes and Neem flowers. It is a taste which is bitter sweet and sour all in one, representing the various aspects of life and how it should be met and taken with equal equanimity.

 

In the evening people visit their friends and relatives to exchange pleasantries of the New Year and wish each other with Puthandu Vazthukal which means Happy New Year.

 

A huge and grand car festival is held on this day at Tiruvadamarudur near Kumbakonam. Numerous festivals are also observed in places like Tiruchirapalli, Kanchipuram etc.

 

• Celebrations at other places

In Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan Tamils observe this day with the first financial dealing of the day called Kai-vishesham. It is a tradition where the elders give some money to the youngsters as a mark of blessings. They also take a herbal bath called the maruthu-neer’ and observe arpudu, or the first ploughing of the field in order to prepare for a good harvest. The Sri Lankan Tamils observe and follow the time of Punya Kalam to start all auspicious work. In Malaysia and Singapore also this day is marked with prayers, festivities and a lot of fanfare.

 

 

 

Indian New Year

Assamese	Bengali	Gujarati
Marwari	Malayalam	Marathi
Punjabi	Sikkimese	Tamil
Telugu	Ugadi

 

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Sikkim is the smallest state of the Indian Union but the distinct culture of Sikkim has earned it a special position in the country. The state is located in the hills of Himalaya and the people here are known for their colorful ways of life.

Sikkimese New Year celebration is therefore a grand spectacle to behold. The people of Sikkim are predominantly Buddhist and a strong influence of Buddhism can be seen in their traditions. As a result, Sikkimese celebrations are observed according to the Tibetan calendar.

The Sikkimese New Year, Losoong, falls in the month of December according to the Gregorian calendar and it coincides with the beginning of the harvesting season in the hilly state. People during this time celebrate the ending of the last harvest season and pray for better crop in the coming days.

Earlier, the celebration of Lossong was limited only among the Bhutias. It was then adopted by the Lepchas – the dominating tribal race of the state. Gradually, it turned into the greatest festival of Sikkim and now is known as the Sikkimese New Year. Lossong is now celebrated with equal fervor by the Bhutias, Lepchas, Nepalis, Sikkimese and other tribes of the state.

Many of the traditions followed in Sikkimese New Year are influenced by Losar, the Tibetan New Year. The biggest attraction of the Sikkimese New Year celebration is ‘cham’ dance, which is also influenced by the Tibetan culture. The biggest ‘cham’ dance events are organized in monasteries like the Tsuklakhang Palace, Phodong and Rumtek Monastery. These events attract tourists from all corners of the world.

The dancers are often trained in monasteries and are lamas. The dancers will dress up as Sikkimese Gods to enact their parts. Since lamas remain the main performers, the dance form is also known as the ‘lama dance’. The ‘cham’ dance is said to be an act of exorcism to ward off the evil from the valley. Colorful flags and festoons are hung which are also said to protect the Sikkimese people from evil and bring in good omen.

During this time, Sikkimese are known to prepare special foods at their houses. ‘Guthuk’ is a special noodle made of grains and cheese. Special breads are prepared and items like chili, sugar, salt, wool, and coal are hidden inside those. The item that you find inside the bread is said to foretell about your nature, like the person who finds chili inside his bread is believed to be talkative, while finding salt and sugar will mean you’re a nice person at heart. Consuming domestically made liquor ‘chhaang’ is also an important part of the celebration.

The New Year celebration is initiated by Bongthing, the lepcha priest and Mun, by offering the special oblation of alcohol, “Chi Fut”, to the deity. During the midnight, burning of the effigy of the demon king, Laso Mung Punu, is an important part of the celebration. This is said to destroy badness among people and ward off evil spirits.

Archery competitions take place in various parts of the state. Various other sports and dancing fairs are also organized to commemorate the day.

Indian New Year

Assamese	Bengali	Gujarati
Marwari	Malayalam	Marathi
Punjabi	Sikkimese	Tamil
Telugu	Ugadi

Happy New Year

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Marwari New Year is celebrated on the day of Diwali. According to the Hindu calendar, the New Year falls on the last day of Ashwin month.

Diwali being an auspicious occasion for the Marwari community, they consider it to be the beginning of the New Year. Even business professionals prefer coming up with new project ventures on this auspicious day. Celebrated with immense exuberance and charm, this New Year is usually celebrated in the months of October or November.

Marwari Rituals for New Year

Every festival in India is associated with some rituals and Marwari New Year is not an exception as well. In fact, there are some rituals, which are practiced a month before the new year commences. For example, Ahoi Ashtami- a popular ritual amongst Marwari women is celebrated one week before the New Year. Women keep fasts for the long lives of their better halves during this period.

This ritual is extremely popular amongst the Bania community of the Marwaris. In some families, women make a geru paste (prepared mixing water and red powder) so as to draw a sketch of Ahoi Mata. The Goddesses picture is sketched on the wall, layered with a coat of cow dung and fresh lime. Marwaris consider this to be a holy wall and offer their puja offerings on the day of Diwali here. All family members gather for worshipping the deity.

The rituals are performed to bring in good luck and wealth for all members of the family. Besides Goddesses Lakshmi, Lord Ganesh is also worshiped on Marwari New Year. Satyanarayan arti forms an integral part of the puja rituals. Charnamrit ( a mix of sugar, tulsi leaves, unboiled milk and curd) is prepared and distributed amongst all worshippers.

As mentioned earlier, Marwari New Year, celebrated on the eve of Diwali holds immense importance for business professionals. They start the New Year by creating new accounts. They keep a betel leaf inside their account books and consider this to be a good omen. Marwari women purchase silver coins on Diwali so as to mark the beginning of a prosperous new year.

Celebrations on Marwari New Year

The victory of good over evil marks the beginning of the Marwari New Year. Being one of the auspicious occasions in India, the celebrations on this New Year is equally grand. With over-crowded sweet and firecrackers shops teamed up with streets flooded with lights you can very well add glory to your New Year celebrations. The houses are well decorated with rangolis, diyas and lights. Besides,  you will find the kids busy burning their favorite fire-crackers.

Delicacies to Fall for on Marwari New Year

New Year calls for endless entertainment and good food treats. ‘Pucca Khana’ or more popularly delicacies like sweet vermicelli, halwa and puri prepared in ghee or oil is something that you don’t want to miss out. Sweets like Gulab Jamun, Badam Phirni, Besan Ke Ladoo, Peda, Rasmalai, Jalebi, Karanji, Channar Payesh, Doodh Pak, Rawa Ladoo, Shakkarpare, Gajar Ka Halwa, Kesar Kaju Barfi, Lapsi, and Kheer Ghathia are also prepared on the eve of Marwari New Year.

Last but not the least, as the New Year is celebrated on the eve of Diwali, the day is declared as a holiday not only in India but also in neighboring places like Fiji, Singapore, Malaysia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Mauritius, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

The arid land of Gujarat comes alive with its many celebrations. The people of Gujarat are known for their hospitable nature, delicacies, dance, music and colorful lifestyle. Celebration of the New Year here calls for great pomp and show. It is also heavily laden with religious rituals. The Gujarati New Year is also known as Bestu Varas.

Gujaratis, as the people of Gujarat province are normally known as, celebrate the day after Diwali as their New Year.

It is believed to be the day when Lord Krishna of Hindu mythology worshipped the Govardhan Parbat to save people of Vraja from the wrath of Lord Indra, who vowed to drown the small village from heavy rain. Since then, Gujaratis are offering pujas to the Govardhan Parbat on the day of Bestu Varas. On this day, Govardhan pujas are organized in many temples across Gujarat and devotees gather to earn blessings from their worshipping God. In many temples, the replica of the mythological mountain is made with mud and cow dung and is worshipped.

The Gujarati New Year falls in the month of Kartik, which is the first month of the Gujarati calendar. The event is also called Varsha-pratipada or Padwa and coincides with Sudekam.

 

Many rituals are followed to usher the New Year and people put their worries behind and prepare to welcome a new beginning. Since the New Year is celebrated on the next day of Diwali, which is the biggest religious event of the region, festivities continue with equal enthusiasm. On this day, all the houses are cleaned and painted fresh. Gujaratis will decorate their houses with ‘rangolis’ and garlands. In the evening, people light up their houses with oil lamps and burst firecrackers.

On this day, people dress in new clothes and visit temples to offer puja to Gods. People will buy new clothes and show respect to elders. Elaborate New Year feasts are organized in houses and friends and families are invited to join the meal. Wishing health and prosperity to each other is an integral part of Gujarati New Year celebration. Gujaratis also commemorate the day to forget about their past rivalries and misunderstanding and welcome a new beginning. Homemade sweets and desserts are prepared and distributed among the neighbors and relatives.

Like the other parts of India, the New Year celebration coincides with the beginning of the harvest season in the region. Many fairs are organized in different parts of the state during this time and so, it is also the ideal season to plan a trip to the westernmost state of India.

Assam is a northeastern state of India which is known for its fertile land and vast expanses of tea gardens.

Cultivation is the main vocation of the natives of Assam and therefore, their New Year celebration coincides with the beginning of the harvest season.

Like the many celebrations of India, Assamese New Year is also observed with great fervor.

Although the people of Assam are known for their simple lifestyle, New Year is celebrated with great pomp and show. The celebration is called Bohag Bihu, named after the first month of the Assamese calendar and is the biggest non-religious festival of the state.

Apart from Bohag Bihu, the other major Bihu festivals of the state are:

1. Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu in January
2. Kati Bihu or Kongali Bihu celebrated during October and November

As per the Gregorian calendar, Bohag Bihu is observed during the month of April and is celebrated with great enthusiasm and abundance. The etymology of the word Bihu relates it to the Dimasa Kachari language which was spoken by the native Dimasa Kachari tribe of the region. They used to offer the first crop of the harvest to their worshipping God, Brai Shibrai as a tradition. In the language ‘bi’ means to ask and ‘shu’ means peace. In a word, they asked for peace and prosperity from their supreme God.

Bohag Bihu is now the most important festival for the people of Assam and normally many traditions and rituals are observed during this time. The day is considered very auspicious and Assamese people will clean and decorate their houses for the celebration. They will buy new ropes for their cattle and collect vegetables to be eaten on that day.

Since Assamese people still depend heavily on the traditional method of cultivation, cattle, especially cows, play a very crucial role in the celebration. Cows are used in the fields and they also signify the wealth of the owner and so, on this day, they are cleaned and worshiped and offered special fodder made of aubergine and gourd.

People will take a special bath on the day and wear new clothes. Then the special prayer offered at the Namghar or the prayer hall inaugurates the celebration of the New Year. The celebration may last for more than a day and each of the days has its special meaning and rituals. The prayer is called ‘Bihu Husori’. On the second day of the Bihu celebration, special dishes of flattened rice, curd and jaggery are prepared in Assamese households and enjoyed with friends and relatives. Offering prayers to deities is also an integral part of Bihu celebration.

During the celebration, the people of Assam restrict themselves to wear only the traditional outfit which is ‘Mekhla’ for the women and an assortment of vest, dhoti and ‘gamocha’ for the men. Special performances of Bihu dance are presented by expert dancers. In many parts of the state, fairs and Bihu dancing competitions are organized.

Although the New Year celebration traditionally lasts for three days, festivity continues for over a month. Educational institutes and many offices remain closed during this period.