Ugadi Festival Significance
Ugadi is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Yugadi’, which means ‘beginning of a new Yuga or era’. Ugadi is also known as “Gudipadava”. As per the Indian mythology ugadi is believed that the Lord Brahma, the Creator and part of the holy trinity, started creation on this day which is also known as the Chaitra suddha padhyami or the Ugadi day. Ugadi festival in Andhra pradesh is the New Year’s Day and also for the Telugu people all over the world. The people who live in the north of Vindhya hills observe the day of ugadi as “Barhaspatyamana”. And the People living to the south of Vindhya hills observe ugadi day as “Sauramana” or “Chandramana”.
In this ugadi festival the people like to read and listening of panchanga also called ‘panchangasravanam’ and yearly calendar which was done at the temples or as per modern technology we can get to hear the priest-scholar on television sets right in one’s living room and also on celebrations of ugadi people involves reading of other Tidhis (wealth and prosperity) during the year and ends with a forecast for various sectors of the social life and the strengths and effects of various constellations and their transitions. kavi Sammelanam or poetry recitation is a typical Telugu Ugadi feature. Ugadi festival is also a time when people look forward to a literary feast in the form of Kavi Sammelanam. Ugadi Kavi Sammelanam is also a launch pad for new and budding poets
Ugadi is also the most favorable time to start new ventures. On celebrations of Ugadi festival people wake up early in the morning and after bath they decorate their houses from the entrance of the house with green leaves, fresh flowers and we also keep earthen pot before the idol of the house. Ugadi festival it is believed that Lords Kartik and Ganapathy, the two sons of Lord Shiva and the Goddess Parvati were very fond of mangoes and Kartik exhorted people to tie green mango leaves to the doorways of their houses to signify wellbeing and happiness and attract prosperity and wealth for the yeas to come. In this ugadi celebration People also splash fresh cow dung water on the ground in front of their house and draw colorful floral designs.
Celebrations of Ugadi marks a day of joy and happiness, aspirations and hope, the people believe that this day and its joys would foreshadow the course of events for the upcoming year. Ugadi teaches man the lesson that he should perfect himself as an embodiment of divinity. Celebrations of Ugadi also marked as a new Hindu festival for the people in Maharashtra and Karnataka.
After all this people attend for pooja and everyone takes share a special ugadi chutney called Ugadi pachadi. Ugadi pachadi is made of new jaggery, raw mango pieces, Neem flowers and new tamarind. Ugadi pachchadi” is one such dish that has become a tantamount with Ugadi. On Ugadi festival people prepare special dishes and delicious food on this occasion such as “pulihora”, “bobbatlu” and preparations made with raw mango. In Karnataka too, similar preparations are made but called “Puliogure” and “Holige”. The Maharashtrians make “Puran Poli” or sweet ‘Rotis’.