Yugadi !

Today is the first day of  hindu calendar 'chaitra masa'. Yugadi means yuga - an era and aadi is the beginning.It falls on a different day every year because the Hindu calendar is a lunisolar calendar. The hindus of the deccan celebrate and welcome the new year with the mixture of bitter and sweet.(very less of bitter-neem leaf and more of sweet- jaggery )Signifying life. The bitter enhances the sweet flavour again a metaphor. The bitter moments in life are very less and gives value to the sweetness in life. Both are to be savoured and enjoyed together..


The people of Maharashtra term the same festival, observed on the same day, Gudi Padva.similarly the sindhis call it cheti chand..Manipuris call this fest Sajibu Cheiraoba. Whille its Baisakhi for Punjabis and for tamilians its Puthandu. Keralites call it Vishu, Biharis call it vaishak.People from Assam call it Rongali Bihu, while people of WBengal call it Naba Barsha


Its a belief that lord Brahma completed creation of universe on this day..Towards Padva, trees bear new foliage and appear fresh. The earth springs up to life with beautiful colours and brightness on this day.Hence all temples and homes are decorated with colourful flowers and preparations start early in the morning.


The yugadi sweet is usually the 'pachadi' or 'bevu' made out of most dry fruits almost all fruits,raw mango tamarind, jaggery and ofcourse the main ingredient the flowers of neem.Also the most important fruit is 'Bela'(Wood Apple).All this consumed on this day helps combat the probability of any forthcoming diseases/allergies/infections to a large extent as it develops the immunity and cools the system down preparing it for the peak summer.


The kannadigas celebrate the festival buying a New panchang(hindu calendar), washing their hair, cleaning up the pooja room and decorating it, and offering pooja to the panchang as well as to the deities. Preparing festival dishes and the special bevu.


Its a little different for the Marathis. ( no matter what the occasion is they need to hoist a flag) this festival is no different :-) Gudi is a bright green or yellow cloth adorned with brocade (zari) tied to the tip of a long bamboo over which gathi (sugar crystals-kalsakkare), neem leaves, a twig of mango leaves and a garland of red flowers are tied. A silver or copper pot or a bronze pot is inverted over it. This gudi is then hoisted outside the house, in a window, terrace or a high place for everybody to see it.The gudi, which is Brahma’s flag is hoisted in every house as a symbolic representation of victory. This is offered a pooja ritualistically with a resolve. 


For Punjabis, its a time for rejoice as its the ravi crop harvest time. Its a very enthusiastic time for the farmers & is very vibrant with colourful clothes and the whole city lighted and Cries of “Jatta aayi Baisakhi” reverberate in the skies.Men and women move towards the fields to celebrate the fest.They have a huge fair set up near the fields selling all kinds of eateries, toys and so on. The traditional folk dance bhangra and gidda are performed by men and women resp.They also have bull fights, kushti which is a major attraction.They visit the golden temple on this day. Atleast the near by gurudwara is visited wearing new colourful clothes.They prepare a sweet made of semolina.They have community lunch or 'Langar' and rejoice the food along with the whole city.Evenings usually have nagar kirtans. 


In Kashmir, a ceremonial bath and general festivity mark yugadi while in Himachal Pradesh devotees flock to the temple of Jwalamukhi and take a holy dip in the Hot Springs.  


Interesting isnt it?
This is the only festival thats celebrated around the same time by whole of India and significance is the same all over "mark of new year"..