Gudi Padwa 2017 All you need to know about Maharashtrian New Year

Gudi Padwa 2017: All you need to know about Maharashtrian New Year

While the western world celebrates the end of the calendar year as New Year on January, In India, millions of people still celebrate New Year on the first day of the month of Chaitra. The first day of the Hindu calendar is also celebrated as ‘Gudi Padwa’ in Maharashtra and as Ugadi in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Maharashtra adds its own flavour to the celebration with the festivities of Gudi Padwa, which also marks the commencement of the Sping season in many parts of the country.  This day also marks the end of one harvest season and the beginning of another.

Apart from all these things, Here’s all you need to know about Gudi Padwa: 

Gudi Padwa 2017

1. Gudi Padwa marks the arrival of the spring season, or the ‘Vasant’ season. In other parts of the country, it is celebrated as Ugadi or Yugadi in parts of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Where else the Sindhi community celebrates the festival of ‘Cheti Chand’ on this day. 

Gudi Padwa 2017

2. The Day also marks the beginning of Hindu New Year. The day also holds importance as it being considered auspicious to start new projects and works and also to mark important resolutions. 

Gudi Padwa 2017

Looking at the significance of this name, in ‘Gudi Padwa’ Gudi means ‘doll’ and every year Maharashtrians create doll with six ingredients that symbolise new beginnings. Then with all the six unique ingredients, the ‘Gudi’ is then hung outside every Maharashtrian house.   

Gudi Padwa 2017

Like every Indian festival, Gudi Padwa is also incomplete without sweets involved in it. On the occasion of Gudi Padwa every year, a special sweet dish, ‘Pooran Poli’ is made. Also other sweets like Shrikhand and Kheer are also prepared.

Gudi Padwa 2017

During the Pooja on Gudi Padwa, an offering of jaggery and Neem leaves is offered to the God after which it is distributed among family members as a blessing. The mixture is said to purify blood and improve the immunity. 

Gudi Padwa 2017

In many parts of Maharashtra, a ‘Shobha Yatra’ is also organised, which is basically a community parade where women are seen performing group dance wearing traditional Marathi attire. With a number of other activities, women perform lezim dance or lead motorcycle rallies.

(Picture credits: PTI )