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 Gudi Padva

Gudi Padva

Maharashtrian New Year

Gudi Padva

The gudi is ready with all the garlands and sugar battasha garland !

The Maharashtrian New Year's Day is celebrated in March/April, on the first day of the Hindu month - Chaitra and  marks the beginning of spring or "Vasant".

This vibrant festival following the festival of colors - Holi - is as festive if not more. It is a time for spring cleaning of homes - big and small - making them sparkle from top to bottom to mark a new beginning.....a beginning of SPRING and warmer days. Summer is just around the corner, and the sun begins to show its true colors by going from warm to hot. Crops have been harvested and fruits like mangoes, guavas, jackfruit begin to flood the market place. Sunflowers bloom and the nature bursts into color again.

This day is said to be the one on which Lord Brahma created the world after deluge. 

It is a day of great festivity and rejoicing as it also commemorates the triumphant expeditions of the Maratha armies of the great Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the most beloved leader of the Maharashtrians. It is a day when the brave Marathas returned home from their successful expeditions of war.

Gudi Padwa is considered a very auspicious day. New ventures are begun, house-warming poojas are performed, and people also choose to buy gold, silver or property on this day.Gudi Padba

New Year is celebrated in different states of India under various names, for e.g. Ugadi in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, Gudi Padva in Maharashtra. The Sindhis celebrate it as Cheti chand. . 

How to make a Gudi?
 

Tie a  bright green or yellow cloth adorned with brocade (zari) to the tip of a long bamboo. Add strings of a suggary sweet - made only in India - called "Gathi", neem leaves, and a string of mango leaves along with a garland of red flowers. Then place a a silver or copper pot placed in the inverted position over it. This is hoisted and placed in front of the house, on the right side. Then draw beautiful "Rangoli" on the floor in front of it.

Gudi means a "banner" raised to announce victory and joy and "Padva" is another name for "Pratipada" which is the first day of a lunar month.

How to celebrate Gudi Padva? 

People get up early and clean their houses, decorating them with intricate rangoli (colored rice flour designs for the floor) designs.  This worship to the "Gudi" is supposed to drive away evil from the house and are expected to usher in prosperity and good fortune. 

A brightly colored silk cloth is first tied to a wooden pole with a brass or silver goblet or kalash is placed upturned atop it. Then garlands of sweet sugary battasa, neem leaves and orange -yellow marigold flowers are tied to the pole. This is called the "Gudi". The "Gudi" or decorated pole is placed where it can be seen by passers by. 

Making the gudi for Gudi Padva

We are getting the gudi ready.

This auspicious day also marks the beginning of the consumption of summer foods like melons, jack-fruit, mangoes , sprouted gram and more. A variety of sherbets such as Mango Panha and special sweets like  Puran Poli are served. Traditional Maharashtrians have the custom of eating a couple of bitter neem leaves fried in ghee and mixed with sugar. They are eaten on Gudi Padva to ensure good health. The neem paste is believed to purify the blood and build up immunity in the body against diseases.

Gudi Padva is considered one of the auspicious days in the year when people start new ventures. 

Gudi Padwa Recipes 

Traditionally, bittersweet leaves of the neem tree are eaten on this day. A paste of crushed neem leaves, cumin seeds, jaggery and salt is taken before eating any food in the morning. 

In the southern states, Puliogare-a sour tamarind rice dish, Bobbatlu, Holige- sweet stuffed bread and Ugadi Pachadi made of jaggery, raw mango pieces, neem flowers and tamarind is prepared. In 

Maharastra, Shrikhand -a fragrant yogurt dessert, with Poori-a fried puffy bread is prepared.

It is believed that on 'Gudi Padva' :

  1. The Universe was created by Brahma.
  2. Satyuga (The Age of Truth and Justice) began.
  3. Shri Rama returned to Ayodhya victorious, after having killed Ravana.
  4. This is one of the 3 and a half days in the Hindu Lunar calendar, whose every moment is considered auspicious.
  5. The festival is celebrated as Ugadi in Karnataka. Seven, Nine or eleven haystacks are placed on a farmland and are set alight. The ashes are mixed while ploughing the farm.

The Vedas proclaimed that the year should consist of 12 months and the world has accepted it.

 

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