YUGADHI

 Happy  Ugadhi, Yugadhi.  -  Nanganallur  J K Sivan

Because  my Telugu friends, cannot and do not read or write or understand my mother tongue, Tamil I am writing this in English, as I always prefer to write in Tamil only and hasten to wish you my Telugu speaking friends in Sree Krishnarpanam Seva Group, all happiness, peace and prosperity in plenty with Krishna's grace, on the happy occasion of Ugadhi.

Ugadi or Yugadi,  is also known as Samvatsarādi, Samvathsaram means year, and aadhi is  beginning.  Tomorrow is Ugadhi,  the  Telugu  New Year's Day.

There are  sixy years in Hindu  Panchang,  Calander.   The new year is observed in Southern part of India,  the Dhakshina Bharath, by different  methods according to the Lunar- Solar movement.  The first day fo Chaithra month, the first  month falls in April usually.   Chathra also falls on the day after  Amavasya with 27th Nakshatra Revati. It happens to be tomorrow Saturday 2nd April 2022.   As a matter of fact, Ugadi day is pivoted on the first New Moon after March Equinox per  Gregorian calander.

I have been  with Telugu families  joined them in their Ugadhi celebrations as a guest,  during my shipping days in India and elsewhere. It is  a  wonderful with rich and  colourful patterns drawn on the floor called Muggulu, mango leaf decorations on  doors called torana, people  wearing  new dresses.and  giving  gifts such as new clothes, and distributing sweets and food  as  charity to the poor. 

The day begins with oil massage followed by special bath, preparing and sharing a special food  item known as pachadi, and visiting Hindu temples.

The pachadi is a notable festive food that combines all flavors – navarasa, tasting  sweet, sour, salty, bitter, astringent and piquant.  It is symbolic of  how one's life experiences are  a mixture  blended with different passions, moods, and feelings and temperaments  representing  likes, dislikes, happiness and  sorrow.

Please remember it is also New year day for  Kannadigas according to Hindu traditions.  The same day is observed as Yugadi, a New Year  named  by Kannadigas and as  Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra.  It is a national public holiday in Mauritius.

Yugadi or Ugadi is a  Sanskrit word  merging  yuga (age) and ādi (beginning): "the beginning of a new age".  It is spelt  both as Yugadi or Ugadi.  It  falls on "Chaitra Shudhdha Paadyami" or the first day of the bright half of the Indian month of Chaitra.

Preparations for the festival begin a week ahead. Houses are thoroughly, cleaned, white whashed or  color painted.  textile shops will be crowded  for purchase of new dresses for the festival. In Hindu tradition, we  value the mango leaves and coconuts as quite auspicious the fronts of  houses are  attractive  with colorful rangoli designs.

Special dishes of  Kannadigas for the occasion are Holige, Obattu and mango pickles.  The  Telugus  make  "pulihora, bobbatlu (Bhakshalu/ polelu/ oligale), New Year Burelu and Pachadi" made with raw mango. 

The Sindhis, people from Sindh, celebrate the same day as Cheti Chand, which is the beginning of their calendar year.For  Manipuris  it is a celebration of New year named  Sajibu Nongma Panba on the same day. The Hindus of Bali in Indonesia also celebrate their new year on the same day as Nyepi.

We  the people of Tamil Nadu and Kerala follow the Souramana (solar calendar system) which is based on the Raasi (Zodiac) . it will be  about 12 days  later.  I will write about  it in Tamil. The variation in new year dates are because of the practice followed.  Telugu and Karnataka people use Chandramana (lunar calendar system) observeing the Prathama (first) thithi in Chaithra, chiththirai in tamil,  When Sun enters the Mesha rasi( vernal equinox) it is new year for Tamil(Puthandu) and malayalam(Vishu) people.