Gudi Padwa

What is the story behind Gudi Padwa?

The celebration of Gudi Padwa significance revolves around various stories that make this festival unique. There are stories from ancient hindu mythology that hold great importance. The first story that makes the day of Gudi Padwa special is the return of Lord Rama. It is believed that on the day of Gudi Padwa, Lord Ram returned to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana. The victory of Lord Rama marks the day as a winning of good over evil.

Moreover, after the victory of Lord Rama, Chhatrapati Shivaji first celebrated the festival of Gudi Padwa. That’s when all the people of Maharashtra started celebrating this festival as a new beginning. Other than that, another story that revolves around the celebration of Gudi Padwa is that after the creation of the Universe by Lord Brahma, he introduced time, days, weeks, months and years on this day.

Additionally, one more story adds to the celebration of Gudi Padwa, that is, the victory of King Shalivahana. On the day of Gudi Padwa, King Shalivahan won against the Sakas and created a new era. This created extreme joy and happiness, making this celebration more exciting. Therefore, the reason behind the hoisting of the Flag known as Gudi on this day is believed to welcome good luck and fade away evil. So, these were some of the famous gudi padwa history and stories that make the celebration unique.

What is the significance of Gudi Padwa?

The stories from ancient history add significance to the celebration of Gudi Padwa. However, other than that, there is some other gudi padwa importance behind the celebration of Gudi Padwa. Firstly, the festival of Gudi Padwa meaning marks the arrival of the spring season and the new beginning, along with new hopes and good luck. On the day, the Gudi (flag) hoisting is significant because it's believed to ward off evil and bring peace and harmony.

So, during the festival of Gudi Padwa, every Marathi household hoists a Gudi. Moreover, this is also a festival to share love and unity, so on the day of Gudi Padwa, parents invite their newly married daughters to their homes for a delicious meal. Moreover, the parents bless their daughter and son-in-law so that they have a prosperous married life.

On this day, people worship Goddess Saraswati and Lord Brahma. As the festival is dedicated to a new beginning, the blessings of Lord Brahma are crucial because he blesses the devotees for their new venture so that it's successful and filled with happiness and harmony. Moreover, the festival of Gudi Padwa is also the best time to perform Vastu Puja so that all the evil is avoided. It's also believed that a new car, house or gold can also be optimistic during this festival.

What are the Rituals and Remedies involved in Gudi Padwa?

Some traditional rituals and remedies involved in the celebration of the Gudi Padwa festival are mentioned below. Before starting any celebration, there are certain rituals and remedies that mark the opening of the festival and celebration.

Gudi Padwa Rituals

• At the entrance of all the Maharashtrian households, colourful rangoli are made using coloured powders.
• One of the most important rituals of Gudi padwa is the hoisting of the flag. On this day, the Gudi or a flag is seen in all the maharashtrian families. The flag is made up of a beautiful colourful silk scarf tied to a long bamboo. At the top of the flag, neem and mango leaves are also attached, along with some malas made of colourful flowers.
• The flag is then crowned with a copper or silver vessel to mark the victory and new beginnings.
• On the day of Gudi Puja, people wake up early, take baths, and visit temples to offer prayers, wearing traditional sarees and jewellery.
• Traditional sweets are prepared to offer deities and later distributed as a Prasad. Famous Maharashtrian sweets like Puran Poli and Shrikhand are offered to Gods. Moreover, food items like Aambe Dal and Sunth Paak are also prepared, and relatives are invited for meals.

Gudi Padwa Remedies

• On the day of Gudi Padwa, you must chant 'Om Brahma Devaya Vidmahe, Vishnu Putraya Dheemahi, Tanno Brahma Prachodayat.' This mantra is chanted to ask for the blessings of Lord Brahma.
• The Gudi or the flag hoisted on the day of Gudi Pdwa should be hoisted in the right direction and at the right time. However, the most favourable direction to hoist Gudi is the South or West direction.
• One must not lend or borrow money from anyone on the day of Gudi Padwa.
• One should not broom the floor of your home on the main day of Gudi Padwa as it is believed to bring bad luck and negativity.

Conclusion

Understanding all the festivals celebrated in our country is essential as we are part of a diverse culture. All the festivals hold significance, making gudi padwa special and unique. So, here is all you need to know about the festival of Gudi Padwa.