It is the Hindu New Year (Sarvadhari), with the onset of Chaitra (Chittirai) Masam in March/April according to Hindu Panchanga (calendar). It falls on different dates and its called different names in different regions of India, so for everyone, we wish a Happy Hindu New Year!
Since the Vedic calendar also influenced Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bali etc ‘s traditions and calendar, we also extend our best New Year wishes to all people of South East Asia!
April also sees Ugadi, so special Greetings to people of Andhra P. and Karnataka! Also to Maharashtrans, where the festival is called Gudi Padwa.
On Ugadi day, people decorate their houses with mango leaves, jasmine flowers and rangoli designs, they pray for a prosperous new year and visit the temple to listen to the new calendar – Panchangasravanam, as priests make predictions for the coming year.
Ugaadi is also an auspicious day to embark on any new endeavour, so let’s get started!
For Tamils the special day Putthanu is the 13th, and the day starts with viewing the kanni (auspicious light and sights) at dawn, so that it will bring good fortune in the new year. Auspicious sights include gold/silver jewellery, betel leaves, nuts, fruits/vegetables, flowers, raw rice and coconuts. This is followed by the ritual bath, new clothes and a visit to the temple to pray and read the Panchangam.
The ladies adorn the entrances of their houses with kolam (rangoli) using rice flour, and deck the doorway with mango leaves. A decorated lamp called a kuthuvillakku is placed in the centre of the colorful Kolam to bring light to the house.
The highlight of the observance is Manga Pachadi, made from raw mangoes, jaggery and neem flowers, which is at the same time sweet, sour and bitter, signifying all the different aspects of our life.
Read Some More
- Ugadi 2008
- More on Ugadi and Ugadi foods
- Sailu has a recipe for Ugadi Pachadi (chutney) and another one here for 2008.
- tunneling thru’ has a wonderful description of how she spent the day, and a recipe to boot.
- Neivedyam has a plethora of Ugadi recipes
- Tastes from My Kitchen has a nice explanation of the six tastes included in the Ugadi Pachadi.
- My Feasts has a great Gulab Jamun recipe and a tale of her mom’s 17 curries at New Year.
- Ranji’s Kitchen has a recipe for Hittu, a special idli, wrapped in jackfruit leaves.
- Mahanandi has a beautiful Ugadi sketch.
Do you have a Ugadi or Putthanu post – about the festival or the food? Let me know and I will add it.
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Happy Ugadi to you as well ! It is amazing the amount of facts that you know.
RC, pleaselet me know if I miss something or mis-interpret anything! Always wanting to know more.
I love your new home for RedChillies! Best wishes for it, and happy Ugadi to you too.
wonderful pics once again VY
and wishing u a very happy Ugadi too.
Isn’t she just so beautiful, drawing rangoli at the temple at 5am? I loved watching her, in front of the Muruga shrine.
Hope the year is most prosperous for you.
Awesome pictures and wonderful post. I am planning to write one on the Hindu New year myself, perhaps later this week. Happy Ugadi (New year) btw!
Hi A-kay, thanks for letting me know about your post – I will keep an eye out for it. It will be great to have a Tamil one to link to. Happy Ugadi
Oh Thank you for linking! You have an amazing site yourself! :–)
I really enjoyed your story of how you spent the day. Thanks for posting that. And I am so glad that you enjoy my little posts. It makes it all worth while.
Thanks for sharing! I love your pictures!
Thanks, Ginny, I love your idea for an event! Yrs and yrs ago I was on a very limited budget with a small child. I still loved cooking, and we did wonders on very little and a great veggie garden.
Is the wonderful lady in the photos wonderful! I am so in awe of her.
Again, I love your beautiful pics and India just has a sensuality which your photos do justice to. I also enjoy all your information, since I know very little aboutt their food and traditions!
ronelle
I can’t wait until I am back there again. Lovely to see you “out and about” again in blog world.
I always approach the information part of writing about India with a lot of trepidation, because it is so easy to to mis represent cultures and areas when writing from a different upbringing/background/culture. But I love that my Indian readers are very willing to add information and correct me when I get it wrong.
Happy Ugadi to you!
and thank you for beautiful explaining the New year!
Loves the series of pics of the lady doing rangoli!
Thanks, Arun. Hope you had a great New Year. Isn’t she beautiful?
Happy ugadi greetings to all visitors of this blog. Very nice informative blog. Keep it up.
Please visit us to send ugadi greetings to your friends and relatives
Cheers
Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!