When was Ugadi in 2024?
When was Ugadi?
Apr 11, 2024
During this festival, various types of gifts are available in the markets and online gifting stores. However, you can avoid the hectic task of visiting markets on foot by shopping through e-gifting stores. You can send Ugadi gifts to India to your loved ones. Moreover, this online store also helps NRIs to send gifts to their dear ones on this grand occasion.
Feasting is a core part of Indian festivals and Ugadi is no exception. Hence, on this special festival, you can convey your best wishes as well as give a delicious treat to your dear ones by sending an assorted sweets box and dry fruit tray coupled with a fresh flower bouquet. You can even delight the kids by sending mouth-watering chocolates of various flavors. Your dear one will be delighted to have these palatable food items on this special occasion.
People start their day with a ritual shower in which they use different holy oils to clean themselves up followed by a customary meal called ‘Bevu Bella’. Women of the family make special dishes like Holige, Obbattu, or Bobbatlu. Temples and houses are also decorated with fresh and beautiful flowers. They also draw colorful patterns on the floors called ‘Kolam’ or popularly, ‘rangoli’, after they have purified that spot with the urine of cows. People celebrate this special day by feasting with the entire family. They offer a long prayer with the members of the family. The elder members of the family read holy verses and pray to the gods for forgiveness and prosperity. People also exchange gifts and other goodies with each other to celebrate the festive spirit. If you are confused while choosing gifts for your dear ones on this occasion, then these Ugadi gift ideas can make your job easy.
The festival of Ugadi is the celebration of the advent of the new year in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Just like a new beginning, this festival fills the air with hope and optimism. It is one of the biggest festivals in the region and is celebrated as such. There is a lot of preparation that goes on in anticipation of Ugadi. This colorful festival begins with the washing and decoration of homes. Delicacies and sweets are an integral part of any Indian festival and the same holds true for Ugadi as well. The delicious pachadi and poli are a treat for everyone. Gifts are another important aspect of Ugadi which serves as a symbol for sharing and multiplying joy and excitement.
For the people of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Ugadi is a festival of utmost importance. Ugadi ushers in the new year according to the lunisolar calendar. The festival is symbolic of hope and positivity. The holy rituals of the day include eating neem leaves and having oil baths. Both of these are synonymous with auspiciousness. People clean and redecorate their homes and welcome the new year with open arms. The significance of Ugadi lies in a family reunion. Members of the family who are living away often return to their homes to unite in the celebration. Even for those who could not make it home, the spirit of the festival never deserts them.
Ugadi is the day when the people of the Telugu and Kannada-speaking community around the world welcome their new year. It is celebrated on the 1st full moon day after the Spring Equinox. Traditionally, people wake up early on this day and dress in new clothes. The home and its surroundings are purified by applying cow dung on the walls. There is also an annual ritual of the villagers hurling cow dung at each other. This is believed to bring good health and prosperity to them. Making rangolis and decorating the entrances of a home with mango leaves are other customary practices that are done on this auspicious day. This festival is celebrated on the 1st day of Chaitra as per the Amanta lunisolar calendar. This system of calculation of dates is done by observing the solar and lunar movements. The Amanta lunisolar calendar is followed by the people of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. This calendar is different from the other regional calendars followed in India.
Ugadi is one of the popular Hindu festivals observed with great fervor. The festival usually falls in the month of March or April. It is a very popular festival in the southern parts of the country and is celebrated with sincerity in the states of Andhra Pradesh as well as Karnataka. It is basically a New Year festival, which people celebrate exactly on the first day of the month of ‘Chaitra’, the first month according to the Lunar Calendar that commences the Hindu New Year. The word Ugadi is derived from two different Sanskrit words that are ‘Yug’ and ‘Adi’. ‘Yug’ means an age, while ‘Adi’ means the new beginning. These two words together mean “The beginning of the New Age”. The importance or significance of Ugadi is not only restricted to the New Year celebration. It is also the day when the Lord Brahma brought life into different creations, which include Earth. The day is, therefore, celebrated to pay thankful prayers to Lord Brahma for bringing life to Earth. This is why this festival has great importance among all the people of India.
According to the Lunisolar Hindu calendar, the first day of the Chaitra month is celebrated as the beginning of the new year by the people of the Deccan states, namely, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The day holds high regard in their lives as it signifies a new beginning. It is observed by the gathering of the extended family and sumptuous feasts. The genesis of the celebration of Ugadi has its roots in the reign of the Shalivahana Empire way back in 78 AD, according to the Gregorian Calendar. The word ‘Ugadi’ is explained as the beginning of an era. The day begins with ritual showers (oil baths) followed by a customary meal which includes six tastes symbolizing six different experiences of life. Including this special dish, other customary dishes are also prepared, namely, Bhakshyalu and Obbattu. Later people gather in an informal social function to listen to the recitation of the religious Almanac. This is read by religious leaders or some elderly person in the society which illustrates a general forecast for the coming year.
Ugadi, also referred to as Yugadi or Samvatsaradi, is a festival celebrated with great ardor and devotion by the people of South India as it marks the beginning of a New Year. The term Ugadi comes from the Sanskrit word 'Yuga Aadi' - 'yuga' meaning 'era' and 'aadi' meaning 'the beginning'. Hence, we can say that in short, Ugadi means the beginning of a new age. This festival is mostly observed in the Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra. However, in Maharashtra, this festival is known as Gudi Pawda. Decorating one's home with fresh mango leaves, the symbol of well-being and good harvest, and offering prayers to the Almighty for a wonderful year ahead are all significant parts of this festivity.
Ugadi is the New Year for the people of Deccan India. This festival is known as "Barhaspatyamana" by the people who live north of the Vindhya hills, while people living south of Vindhya hills call this festival "Sauramana" or "Chandramana". According to the Hindu calendar, this festival is celebrated on the first day of Chaitra month. People believe that Lord Brahma began His creation on the Ugadi day also known as "Chaitra Suddha Padhyami". Even the great Indian Mathematician Bhaskaracharya stated that Ugadi day is the beginning of a new month, a new year as well as a new day.
