In India, we find a lot of festivals celebrated by people of various communities. These festivals are colorful and auspicious. One such festival that is celebrated in India is Ugadi.

Furthermore, Ugadi is celebrated mainly in the southern part of India. The people living in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra celebrate this festival. Though the name of the festival differs in these states, the importance of the festival is the same. 

Read through the article to learn why and how to celebrate Ugadi?

An overview of the festival 

As mentioned before, Ugadi is an important festival for people living in the southern region of India. It is widely celebrated by the residents of Karnataka, AP, Telangana, and Maharashtra. In Karnataka, the festival is called Yugadi, not Ugadi. The term Ugadi is used by people living in AP and Telangana. Similarly in Maharashtra, it is called Gudi Padwa. However, this doesn’t mean that people belonging to other states don’t celebrate it. Even more, people in Rajasthan and Manipur also celebrate Ugadi with a different name.

Furthermore, in addition to Hindus living in India, Ugadi is also celebrated internationally. Hindus belonging to the Bali region in Indonesia also celebrate Ugadi. In addition to Indonesia, we can see the Ugadi celebration in Mauritius.

The reasons for celebrating Ugadi

In the first place, there are plenty of reasons why people celebrate Ugadi. But the important reason of all is that Ugadi is the New Year for certain people of the Hindu community.

In other words, Ugadi is celebrating the first day of Chaitra Masa. Further, Chaitra is the name of the first month as per the Hindu calendar. So, this means Ugadi is the first day of the first month. Hence, the date marks the beginning of a new year for people following the lunar religious calendar. Furthermore, Ugadi is celebrated in the month of March or April. 

Apart from this, there is one other important reason why people celebrate the festival. It is widely believed by various people that the universe was created on this day. As per Hindu mythology, Lord Brahma is the creator of the Universe. It is believed that he began creating the world on this day. Further, it is said that Lord Brahma created time, day, and date on Ugadi. Hence, Ugadi is celebrating as it marks the beginning of the universe. 

The third reason for celebrating Ugadi is hidden in the name of the festival. Further, the term Yugadi or Ugadi is a Sanskrit word. It is a combination of two words. The first term is ‘Yuga’ meaning period. Further, the second part of the word is ‘Adi’. Here Adi means the start of something. Hence the word Ugadi means stands for starting new things in a person’s life. So, the festival is observed by people to celebrate and welcome the upcoming year.

The last reason for celebrating the festival is the arrival of new seasons. Further, the festival marks the beginning of the spring season. It also signifies the ending of cold days or winters. Hence, traditionally people welcome the new season with joy and happiness. Therefore, observing this festival is a traditional way of welcoming the spring season. Finally, Ugadi is a huge and important festival for people living in the Deccan region of India. 

The manner of celebrating the festival 

Usually, in the Hindu religion, the manner of celebrating festivals differs. There is no hard and fast rule that all people must follow alike. The manner of celebrating a festival depends on the customs of a family. Further, the way of celebrating a festival also depends on the region that a person belongs to. 

Similarly, even the Yugadi or Ugadi festival celebration differs from family to family. It also varies from one state to another. However, it is commonly observed by people living in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra. People living in these states follow their traditions in welcoming the New Year. However, there are some common rituals that all people observe this festival follows. 

Common rituals to be followed during Ugadi

1. The festival begins with a traditional bath by all family members. Every person observing Ugadi wakes up early in the morning and takes a traditional oil bath. Further, the ritualistic oil bath plays an important role during the festival. It signifies the purification of a body and welcoming the new year freshly. 
2. The next ritual to be followed during Ugadi is offering or prayers. After having a good oil bath, families gather together. They offer their prayers to God. Especially during Ugadi Lord Vishnu or Brahma is worshipped. They call upon the Lord through their prayers and seek his blessings. It is believed that prayers offered on this day help them lead a happy and prosperous life in the upcoming year. 
3. After prayers, the next important part of the Ugadi celebration is eating Pachadi. Ugadi Pachadi is made of six different ingredients. Each of these ingredients added to the pachadi varies in taste and texture. It includes neem, jaggery, salt, tamarind, chilies, and unripped mango. Further, these ingredients stand for various emotions of life. Also, the flavors of Ugadi pachadi are said to highlight the essence of life. 
4. Later on, after eating Ugadi Pachadi, a traditionally cooked meal is shared. Families and friends eat traditional Ugadi food. The meal consists of various sweets and savory dishes. Shirkand, Obbattu, and mango rice are commonly prepared during Ugadi. Apart from this, vegetable and other fired’ snacks are also served.
5. Lastly, in Ugadi, it is a common practice to visit temples. Usually, in the evening people wear their best attire and go to the temple. Some families also visit their loved ones’ homes on the day of the festival. Further, it is also common to share or distribute sweets on Ugadi to relatives and friends. 

Bottom Line

To sum it up, Ugadi is a traditional Hindu festival. It is a festival of joy and hope. Further, Ugadi marks the beginning of a new year. Hence, people observe the festival by welcoming and celebrating the upcoming year.