Gudi Padwa is a spring festival marking the start of the lunisolar new year for Marathi and Konkani Hindus. It is celebrated in and around Maharashtra, Goa & Damaon at the start of Chaitra, the first month of the lunisolar Hindu calendar. The festival is characterised by colourful floor decorations called rangoli, a special gudi dvaja; which is a saari or dhoti or other piece of cloth garlanded with flowers, mango & neem leaves; a sugar crystal garland called gathi, topped with upturned silver or copper vessels. Celebration also includes street gathering, dancing & festive foods.
A Gudi Padwa new year festive procession in Maharashtra
Raising gudhi is main ritual of Gudhi Paadvaa
The Gudhi Padwa festival marks the new year, but also celebrates victory of Maratha warriors in processions.
Rangoli made on Gudhi Padwa
Ugadi or Yugadi, also known as Samvatsarādi, is New Year's Day according to the Hindu calendar and is celebrated in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Goa in India. The cycle actually consists of 60 years, each year individually named. The first day of each year is called 'Ugadi'. The word Ugadi can be split into two: Uga means Course of Stars and Adi means Starting. It is festively observed in these regions on the first day of the Hindu lunisolar calendar month of Chaitra. This typically falls in late March or early April of the Gregorian calendar. It also falls during the Tamil month of either Panguni or Chithrai, sometimes on the day after Amavasya with 27th Nakshatra Revati. Ugadi day is pivoted on the first New Moon after March Equinox.
Ugadi Pachadi with puja tray
Ugadi Pachadi
Muggu (rangoli) arrangement in April 2009
Ugadi Pacchadi (right) is a symbolic dish prepared by Hindu people on this festival