Festival of Ugadi 2022: Rituals, Muhurta And Significance

About the Festival:

The festival of Ugadi finds its mention in Hindu mythology, related mainly to Lord Brahma. On this day, Lord Brahma starts with the creation of the Universe. Hence, Ugadi is the first day of the process of the creation of the Universe. Moreover, it coincides with the advent of spring and the harvest season.

It marks harvest and new year festivals in different parts of the country, like Punjab, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Assam and Tamil Nadu.

Celebration of Ugadi Festival

The celebration of Ugadi happens with a lot of enthusiasm and zeal. On this day, people wake up before sunrise for an oil bath—moreover, they perform an oil bath on the Gods and Goddesses. Front doors of houses, offices and shops undergo decoration with flowers and torans and colourful floral patterns. Rangolis are a common sight in front of homes.

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People wear new clothes to go to the temples and worship the Sun God. People consume Bevu Bella, or Ugadi Pachadi, a significant festival dish before going to the temple. A crucial ritual is reading the Panchanga Sravanam or Panchanga by the priests at temples and the eldest family member for those celebrating the festival at home. Because of the auspiciousness, Ugadi is also the best time to start new ventures. 

Ugadi Pachadi

Food is an inseparable part of festivals in India. Hence, the preparation of Ugadi Pachadi or Bevu Bella is essential in Ugadi. The delicious blend of 6 different but perfectly interwoven flavors makes “Pachadi” renowned. These six flavours represent the essence of life. It combines neem flowers or buds, tamarind, salt, chilli powder, unripe mango, and jaggery, defining difficulties, challenges, angry or upsetting moments, surprises, and happiness in life. It is the first dish of the festival. 

People present the delicacy to Gods before they have it first. After that, the rest of the day passes by offering prayers, visiting temples, and celebrating with friends and family.

History behind Ugadi Pachadi

Ugadi festival is one of the most important festival in Hindu traditions. The history of Ugadi celebration can be traced back to the time when according to mythologies Lord Brahma started the process of making the universe. The first thing Lord Brahma decided to make were time periods. These includes days, weeks, months and also years. Thus, the festival of Ugadi is celebrated to mark the beginning of a new age.
According to Hindu texts, Ugadi also has significance in accordance with Lord Vishnu. Lord Krishna is one of the many avatars of Lord Vishnu. Moreover, on the day of Ugadi Lord Krishna left the world. This marked the beginning of the new age – the kalyug. Thereafter, the beginning of a new age is described by Maharishi Vedavyasa as Yesmin Krishno Divamvyataha and Tasmat Eeva Pratipannam Kaliyugam.

Rituals of the Ugadi Festival

Just like any other festival, Ugadi festival also includes several rituals. These include people cleaning their house in order to welcome the Gods. Moreover, the house are decorated with majestic patterns made with the help of rice flour. Moreover, people also decorate their house with bandhanwars made using mango leaves and marigold flowers. After that, people dress up in new clothes and perform a small pooja in their house. After that, the individuals also visit their nearby temple.

On the occasion of Ugadi festival, a special dish called the Ugadi Pachadi is made. It is served first to the Gods and later is distributed among people as a form of prasad. The Ugadi Pachadi is made using neem leaves, jaggery, tamarind, raw mangoes, and also peppers. The dish tends to represent a combination of sweet, bitter, sour, and spicy.

People also tend to exchange gifts on the occasion of Ugadi festival. The exchange of gifts is seen as an expression of love and care that the individuals have for each other. Moreover, there are also community organised fairs and gatherings where people come together in order to celebrate the festival and express their joys and happiness. Lastly, the celebration of Ugadi festival is seen as a time where people come together and celebrate happiness.

Ugadi Festival Significance

Given that it has much enthusiasm, Ugadi’s importance in people’s lives is massive. It honours Lord Brahma and his creation and Vishnu in his Yugaadikrit form. Astronomically, Ugadi begins with the energizing process of the Earth. Around this time, the maximum sunlight is received by the Earth, and it is symbolically understood to prepare and recharge itself for a new astronomical cycle. Because of this, there is a seasonal change on Earth. It is indicative of the beginning of the spring season. It  denotes excitement and letting go of the past.  

Ugadi is the New Year festival in the three states in Deccan, India. Many South Indian families in North India also celebrate this festival with enthusiasm and zeal.

If you happen to travel to Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh or Telangana during Ugadi, keep this incredible festival on top of your Wishlist. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

1. When is the festival of Ugadi celebrated?

The festival of Ugadi is celebrated on the first day of the month of Chaitra. Moreover, Chaitra month tends to fall in the month of March and April. Thus, Ugadi festival is celebrated between the months of March and April. It is also said to clash with the festival of Gudi Parva.

2. What is Ugadi festival and why is it celebrated?

Ugadi festival is comes around to represent the beginning of the new year according to the Hindu Calendar. it is widely celebrated in the stated of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telengana. Moreover, Ugadi is known to be one of the most widely celebrated festival in the Southern part of India. 

3. What are the seven tastes of Ugadi?

The offering made on the occasion of Ugadi festival comes around to be a great balance of sweet, spice, salt, bitter, and sour. It tends to represent the essence of life which is a mix and balance of everything. 

4. What does Ugadi stand for?

The term Ugadi is a mix of two Sanskrit words. These are Yuga and Adi. The term Yuga means age and Adi means beginning. Thus, the term Ugadi means the start of a new age. 

5. What is the difference between Gudi Padwa and Ugadi?

The festivals of Ugadi and Gudi Padwa reflect same meaning and symbolism. However, the only difference between the two is that Gudi Padwa is celebrated in Maharashtra and Ugadi is celebrrated in the Southern parts of India.

6. Who founded Ugadi?

The Indian mathematician Bhaskaracharya founded the festival of Ugadi. The time frame for this was in the Twelfth century. Moreover, according to him, the festival of Ugadi tends to represent the beginning of the new year with new month and new date.

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