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| Gudi Padwa | |
|---|---|
 A Gudi Padwa new year festive procession in Dombivli, Maharashtra | |
| Official name | Gudi Padwa |
| Also called | Marathi New Year, Hindu New Year |
| Observed by | Marathi andKonkaniHindus |
| Type | Religious (Hindu), social, cultural |
| Celebrations | 1 day |
| Observances | People clean and decorate their houses with colourful rangolis and Gudis. |
| Date | Chaitra Shukla Pratipada |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Related to | Ugadi,Cheti Chand |
| Explanatory note on Hindu festival dates | |
|---|---|
TheHindu calendar is lunisolar but most festival dates are specified using the lunar portion of the calendar. A lunar day is uniquely identified by three calendar elements:māsa (lunar month),pakṣa (lunar fortnight) andtithi (lunar day). Furthermore, when specifying the masa, one of two traditions are applicable, viz.amānta /pūrṇimānta. If a festival falls in the waning phase of the moon, these two traditions identify the same lunar day as falling in two different (but successive) masa. A lunar year is shorter than a solar year by about eleven days. As a result, most Hindu festivals occur on different days in successive years on the Gregorian calendar. | |
Gudi Padwa is a spring festival marking the start of thelunisolar new year forMarathi andKonkani Hindus.[1] It is celebrated in and aroundMaharashtra,Goa, andDaman, at the start ofChaitra, the first month of the lunisolarHindu calendar.The festival is characterised by colourful floor decorations calledrangoli, a specialgudi dhvaja, which is asari ordhoti or other piece of cloth garlanded with flowers, mango, and neem leaves; a sugar crystal garland called gathi, topped with upturned silver or copper vessels. The celebration also includes street gatherings, dancing, and festive foods.[1][2]
In Maharashtra, the first day of the bright phase of the moon is calledguḍhī pāḍwā (Marathi:गुढी पाडवा),pāḍvo (Konkani:पाडवो);pāḍya (Kannada:ಪಾಡ್ಯ);pāḍyami (Telugu: పాడ్యమి). Konkani Hindus variously refer to the day assausāra pāḍavo orsausāra pāḍyo (सौसार पाडवो and सौसार पाडयो, respectively). Kannada Hindus inKarnataka refer to it asYugādi/Ugadi (ಯುಗಾದಿ), while Telugu Hindus celebrate the same occasion asUgadi (ఉగాది).Sindhi people celebrate the day asCheti Chand, and Kashmiri Pandits celebrate this day asNavreh.
However, this is not the universal new year for all Hindus. For some, such as those in and near Gujarat, the new year festivities coincide with the five-dayDiwali festival, also known as Bestu Varas.[3] For many others, the new year falls onVaisakhi between 13 and 15 April, according to the solar cycle part of the Hindu lunisolar calendar and this is by far the most popular not only among Hindus of theIndian subcontinent but also among Buddhists and Hindus ofSoutheast Asia.[3]
Gudi means 'flag'; according to Kittel, the term is of South Indian origin.[4] The wordpāḍavā is derived from theSanskrit wordpratipad for the first day of each fortnight in a lunar month, or the first day on which the moon appears after the "new moon" day (amāvāsya), and the first day after the full moon. AGudi is also hoisted on this occasion, gives this festival its name. The termpadva orpadavo is also associated withBalipratipada.[5]
Gudi Padva signifies the arrival of spring and the reaping of rabi crops.[6] The festival is linked to the day on which the Hindu godBrahma created time and the universe.[7] To some, it commemorates the coronation of Rama in Ayodhya, after his victory over Ravana, or the start of theShalivahan calendar, after he defeated the Huns in the first century.[8] According toAnne Feldhaus, in rural Maharashtra, the festival is linked to Shiva's dance and the coming together of the community as they carry theGudhi Kavads together to a Shiva temple.[9]
During Gudi Padwa,gudi (orgudhi) are arranged at every household. It is a bright, colourful silk scarf-like cloth tied at the top of a long bamboo. On top of it, one or more boughs ofneem and mango leaves are attached with a garland of flowers. It is capped with a silver, bronze, or copper pot (handi orkalash), signifying victory or achievement.[10][11]
Some temples are located on the top of hills, and groups work together to help reach thekavad to the top.[11]
Some of the significances attributed to raising agudi are as follows:[6]
Traditionally, families prepare a special dish that mixes various flavours, particularly the bitter leaves of theneem tree and sweet jaggery (gud, gul). Additional ingredients include sour tamarind and astringent dhane seeds. This, like the pacchadi recipe used inUgadi festival, is eaten as a reminder of life's sweet and bitter experience and a belief that the neem-based mixture has health benefits.[10][12]
The festival is also known as[6]
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