8 Interesting facts about Gudi Padwa you should know

This day is a significant one for Marathi people. The Hindu New year, known as Gudi Padwa is popularly celebrated as a Maharashtrian New Year. Gudi Padwa is also celebrated as Ugadi in Andhra Pradesh, Yugad in Karnataka and Sajibu Nongma Panba Cheiraoba in Manipur. Here are some interesting facts about Gudi Padwa and Yugadi which you should know:

Gudi Padwa is the first day of Chaitra that marks the beginning of the new year according to lunisolar Hindu calendar.

The festival was started by Chatrapati Shivaji, Maharashtra’s legendary warrior to celebrate his victories.

On this day the position of the Sun is above the point of intersection of the equator and the meridians, which according to the Hindu calendar marks the commencement of the Spring Season.

Gudi Padwa marks the accent of Spring and therefore, like all festivals in Spring, it is a very colourful one too. It is celebrated with great pomp and grandeur across Maharashtra and in the Konkan regions of Karnataka as well as Andhra Pradesh.

Like all festivals, this festival is also celebrated with food. Traditional dishes like Shrikhand and Puran Poli are made in many Maharashtrian households.

In Andhra Pradesh, this festival is known as Yugadi, a concoction is made with six ingredients, each symbolizing an emotion, to be consumed by the family members. These include neem buds/ flowers (sadness), jiggery (happiness), green chilli (anger), salt (fear), tamarind (disgust) and unripened mango (surprise).

A similar mixture is made in Maharashtra too, which is supposed to help purify the blood and increase immunity.

In Maharashtrian homes, a gudi (doll) is created with a bamboo stick, neem and mango leaves, a red garland, with an inverted copper or silver pot for a face and adorned with green or red brocade. This gudi is placed prominently in the house or outside a window/door for all to see.

Buying gold, new vehicle or anything new is considered to be auspicious on this day.

Author: Piyush Rishi