Overview of Ugadi

Ugadi or Yugadi is an important festival among the Hindu community. The main reason for the importance of Ugadi is that it is the first day of the year. Further, for all those people who follow the lunar calendar, Ugadi marks the beginning of a new year. Apart from this, Ugadi is also the start of the spring season. So, what makes Ugadi special? 

Coming to the question – of what makes Ugadi special – the answer is simple.

Ugadi is a Sanskrit word. It is a combination of two words, ‘Yuga’ and ‘Adi’. The word Yuga means ‘age’ and the word ‘Adi’ means beginning. So, Ugadi means the beginning of new age.  This is the reason why we call the first day of the Hindu calendar Ugadi.

In addition to this, Ugadi is also special because of the way it is celebrated. On this day, families gather together, pray and share a special home-cooked meal. 

Why is Ugadi important?

The importance of Ugadi among Hindus is unbeatable. It is widely believed among people that on this day Lord Brahma created the universe. He is also called the creator of the world. Further, it is also believed that Lord Brahma created the Universe following a natural calamity. 

Lord with his efforts and power started a new world. The legend also says that time restarted and so a new era began. Ugadi being the first day of a new year is welcomed with a lot of happiness and joy. Further, the importance of Ugadi is also associated with the ending of a season. The festival falls at the beginning of the warm season and ending of winter or cold days. On this special day, people worship Lord Brahma for creating this world. Indonesia especially the Hindu community in Bali is devoted to Lord Brahma. Hence, Ugadi is celebrated in Indonesia, especially in Bali and its surrounding region.

Let’s check out some interesting facts about Ugadi. 

1. The first interesting fact about Ugadi is that it is primarily celebrated among people living in a specific region. Ugadi is a huge celebration among people living between Vindhya and Kaveri rivers. In other words, it is predominantly celebrated in four states in India. Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Goa, and Maharashtra. However, in the state of Maharashtra Ugadi festival is called Gudi Padwa.
2. The second interesting fact about Ugadi is that apart from these four states it is celebrated in a few other places. People in Rajasthan celebrate Ugadi as Thapna. Thapna is a festival, especially among the Marvadi community in Rajasthan. 

In addition to the Marvadi community, this festival is also celebrated by Sindhis. They call the festival Cheti Chand. Finally, people in Manipur also celebrate the day. They call it Sajibu Nongma Panda.

1.  The third interesting fact is that the festival is celebrated internationally. Hindu communities in Indonesia and Mauritius celebrate it. Further, Ugadi is called Nyepi in Indonesia. However, in Mauritius, it is called Ugadi. 
2. The next interesting fact about Ugadi is that in Maharashtra it is considered a harvest festival. Gudi Padwa is a harvest festival as it signifies the beginning of new seasons and the ending of old ones.
3. One another fact about the festival is also it is very auspicious. It is mainly important for the significance behind the creation of the world. Many Hindu communities believe that Lord Brahma created the world and time on Ugadi. This belief among Hindus is based on Brahma Purana. Hence, the festival brings a lot of prosperity and happiness to people celebrating it.
4. The sixth interesting fact about Ugadi is the eating neem leaves. People celebrating the festival eat neem leaf on this auspicious day. It is believed that eating the bitter neem leaves helps in the purification of blood. Further, purified blood is essential for the overall well-being of a person. Hence, people eat neem leaves on Ugadi to regain their lost strength on the first day of the New Year.
5. In addition to eating neem, on this day people eat jaggery and mangoes. Usually, it is said that Ugadi food made of six important flavors has to be consumed. These flavors are spicy, sweet, bitter, salt, and two types of sour. The above-mentioned flavors are found in a traditional dish called Ugadi Pachadi. Each of these flavors represents a type of emotion that families go through in their lifetime. As the festival marks the beginning of a new year, eating Ugadi pachadi prepares and strengthens them for all emotions that a family will face in the coming year.
6. The eighth interesting fact about Ugadi is that pachadi is made with six different ingredients. Neem leaves or flower buds – bitter and stand for sadness, Jaggery or Gur – sweet and stands for happiness in life, Green chillies or chillies – spicy and stand for the anger of a person., Crystal or table salt – salty in taste and stands for fear in life, Tamarind or its pulp – sour and stands for disgust in life and Finally, unripped mango – sour and stand for surprises in life.
7. The next interesting fact about this day is the food. Similar to most Hindu festivals even the Hindu New Year is celebrated with food. On this day, special treats like Shirkand and Purana poli are made. These sweets are made with seasonal crops like Mango and Jaggery. The sweets are distributed among friends and family by wishing them good luck for the coming year.
8. Finally, one other interesting fact about Ugadi is that buying of gold. It is said that buying gold and a vehicle on this day brings luck. It also said that starting any new work on Ugadi is good. 

Takeaway

Ugadi is a festival of joy and happiness. The day signifies the start of a new year as per the lunar calendar. Hindus associate the day with Lord Brahma creating the Universe. Lastly, Ugadi or Gudi Padwa is also a harvest festival among people in Maharashtra.