Festival Days - Gudi Padwa, Ugadi, Cheti Chand, Chaitri Navratri, Navreh

Gudi Padwa is a spring-time festival and most celebrated in Maharashtra as it marks the traditional New Year for Marathi and Konkani as per the Luni-Solar calendar. It is celebrated on the first day of the Chaitra month, a first month of the Hindu calendar to mark the beginning of the New Year. Almost all Vedic and cultural events observed during March or spring time due to association with agriculture. This day is celebration across the nation with various names like, Gudhi Padawa in Marathi, Ugadi in Telugu, Samsara Padaavo in konkan region of Maharashtra, second day of Gudi Padwa is Cheti Chand or Jhulelal Jayanti in Gujarat and particular in Sindhi Community, Navreh in Kashmir as New Year.

History and Significance, Rituals and Celebration of Gudi Padwa

Creation of Universe – Lord Brahma is known as creator of Universe and manages cosmic material world. As per the Shreemad Bhagwad and other holy scriptures, Lord Brahma was born from the lotus which came out from the navel of Supreme Lord Shree Vishnu. Lord Brahma had to created the Universe as guided by Lord Vishnu. It had been told that Universe was creates on this day.

Gudi Padwa is also the starting of Chaitra Navratri, devotee of Ma Devi Durga, established the Ghatasthapana- Kalash Sthapana at home as key rituals. Many devotees observed fast and worship Ma Devi Shakti during the days and asked for blessing. People draw rangoli with turmeric powder, kumkum and other natural colors at doorstep. People also prepare Toran at home with various leaf like Mango, Asopalav etc based on availability. Women prepare various delicious dishes with variety of sweets like Shreekhand, Puran Poli, Kheer etc and offered to beloved supreme Lord. After that family sits together and takes as Prasad. In all rituals of Hinduism, Prasad plays a vital role and consider as extra ordinary edible items. Which purifies everyone’s emotions, intellectual and material aspects?

Celebration of Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra had been initiated by great king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. So from that time, people of Maharashtra welcome new year and celebrate the victory of good over negative forces. People prepares the Gudhi with medium size bamboo, tied a yellow or green cloth at top of it. Then tie a mango leaf with garland of flowers on it. Final step is placing a copper pot also called Kalash on it. This Gudhi is hosted outside on the right side of the home, windows or trees such as visible for all outside. This is also consider at flag of Lord Brahma as per the Brahman Puran.

Gudi Padwa is also consider as the auspicious day for shopping so people purchase gold, new vehicle etc on this day and hope for good fortune.

Cheti Chand or Jhulelal Jayanti or Dariyalal Jayanti

The Sindhi community in India celebrates day after Gudi Padwa as Cheti Chand or Jhulelal Jayanti (birth) or Dariyalal Jayanti or New Year. People from Sindhi Community celebrate the festival with fair, feast parties, social gathering etc. Jhulelal is also known as Ishtdeva Uderolal – incarnation of Lord Varun, God of water. Jhulelal had provided justice to Sindhi community and saved them from Muslim King Mirik Shah.

History and Significance of Cheti Chand

During the 10th century, dictator Makrab Khan, acquired kingdom of Thatta by killing Shah Sadakat Khan and declared himself as Mirik Shah. His Maulvis, told him to spread the Islam everywhere so Mirik Shah had started persecuting Hindu people and asked them to convert to Isalm. People were very scared of him, so they all gather at bank of River Sindhu and started worship of Jal Devata and asked for safeguard from Mirik Shah. Lord Varun, pleased with worship and told to take birth at Nasarpur in house of Ratan Chand Lohano and Ma Devki and will save all people. As per the promise, Lord Varun dev took birth at Nasarpur and showcase the real power and meaning of life and universe to Mirik Shah and changed his mind, then after he had never tortured Hindus.

Ugadi, New Year for Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

The team Ugadi is derived from Yuga means age and Adi means beginning thus this day is celebrated as Hindu New Year. People clean their home and get it colored, decorates temples with flowers and mango leaf. People wakes up early in the morning and take holy bath after the massage from sesame oil. Family members read and listen the Panchanga and worship in temple. Bevu Bella, a special kind of food is prepared from mix of Neem flowers, jaggerly, green chilies, salt and un ripened mango. This food is symbol of mixture of happy, fearful, sad, and disgusting and surprise events in life. Women prepare the dishes like badam halwa, paramannum, atukulu payassu etc. Man, women, girls wear the traditional cloth on this day as special celebration.

Chaitri Navratri

Chaitra Navratri is one of the four Navratri and celebrated with immense devotion towards Ma Devi Shakti. Navratri means group of nine days so this Navratri is celebrated from first day of chaitra month to ninth day of shukl paksha. This nine days are divided in group of three days of each. First three days are of worshipping Ma Devi Durga, Goddess of power, next three days are for Ma Devi Lakshmi, Goddess of wealth and remaining three days are for Ma Devi Saraswati, Goddess of knowledge. Various incarnation of Ma Devi Shakti are worshiped on each day.

Navreh – New Year of Kashmiri Pandit

The first day of Saptrishi Samvat of the lunar year is celebrated as New Year - Navreh by Kashmir Pandits in Kashmir. It is also celebrated as winter is going away and new life and season of fertility is coming on. The eldest women of family fill a big Thali with uncooked rice and arrange various items like flowers, coins, walnuts, mirror, Katori filled with Yoghurt, salt, a lump of cooked rice, pen with an inkpot, ornament, bread or Kulcha etc as per family traditions on this rice on night before Navreh. This ritual is called ‘Thal Barun’. All family member do the Darshan this Thali, early in the morning of Navreh, this ritual is called ‘Buth-Vuchun

Both this ritual has special significance, like rice, walnuts, coin, ornament, pen are signifying abundance, regeneration ,stability, prosperity, education, wisdom and knowledge respectively. All the negative energy, impacts will get eliminated by seeing individual’s face in mirror. Walnuts are thrown into water and rice is used for preparing yellow cooked rice known as Taher and then taken as Prasad.