Ugadi

India is a diverse country where people belonging to various cultural backgrounds reside. Therefore, all through the year, you will witness a variety of festivals and occasions. The month of April kick starts the regional New Year celebrations all across the country. Ugadi is one of those regional New Year festivals that people celebrate with high-spirit.

Ugadi is the New Year’s Day for people of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana. The first day of the Hindu lunisolar calendar month of Chaitra (March or April) is the day of Ugadi celebration.

Ugadi or Yugadi is a term that is derived from the Sanskrit words yuga meaning age and ādi meaning the beginning. So, it means “the beginning of a new age”.

Importance of Ugadi:

• As per the historical records and astrological calculations, Ugadi is the day when Lord Sri Krishna’s Niryaana begun in the early hours of the fortnight of Chaitra and this day marked the beginning of Kalyug. Therefore, Ugadi festival is also linked with the start of Kaliyug.
• Apart from the factors mentioned above, Ugadi is also a celebration among people as a token of gratitude to nature for providing mankind with every necessary thing.
• People belonging to the Telugu, Kannada, Kodava and Tulu cultural background in Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala celebrate the festival with great pomp and show. The friends, extended family, and relatives gather and enjoy an eventful day with ugadi wishes and great food. So, Ugadi also celebrates love among people.
• The day generally starts with ritual showers with perfumed oil and prayers