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Hello All,

I wish you and your family, friends, near and dear........

A very happy, prosperous and joyful Ugadi/Gudi Paduva/Baisakhi/New year wishes (27/03/09).

Ugadi means, 'yuga' (era) + 'aadi' (beginning); the start of an era. This is the new year's day for the people of the Deccan region of India. While the people of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka use the term ‘Ugadi’ for this festival, the people of Maharashtra term the same festival, observed on the same day, ‘Gudi Padwa/Gudi Paduva’. Sindhis, people from Sindh, celebrate the same day as their New Year day ‘Cheti Chand’. In Punjab and Haryana, for Sikhs, it is ‘Baisakhi’ (originally Vaishakhi); in Kerala it is called as ‘Vishu’; in Assam this day is called ‘Bihu’ and in Tamil Nadu it is celebrated as ‘Puthandu’. Also, as ‘Poila Boishakh’ in both Bangladesh and West Bengal, as well as by people in Tripura.

It is an ancient harvest festival in many regions, which also marks beginning of a new year, and new harvest season. People in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Sindh region celebrate it on the first day of the bright half of the Hindu month of Chaitra (generally, first week of April – April 6th/7th) where as it is celebrated in mid April (April 13th/14th) in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Assam, West Bengal and other regions of the country.

Ugadi/Yugadi is celebrated on a different day every year because the Hindu calendar is a lunisolar calendar (which indicates both the moon phase and the time of the solar year). The Saka calendar begins with the month of Chaitra (March/April) and Ugadi marks the first day of the new year. In the terminology used by the lunar calendar, Yugadi falls on Chaitra Shudhdha Paadyami or the first day of the bright half of the Hindu month of Chaitra. This generally falls in the month of March or April of the Gregorian calendar.

Vasanta Navaratri (literally - The 9-night Spring festival) starts on this day, Chaitra Shudhdha Paadyami and culminates nine days later on Sri Ramanavami which falls on Chaitra Sudhdha Navami. On this day of Yugadi, people traditionally gather to listen to the recitation of the religious almanac (Panchaangam) of the coming year, and to the general forecast of the year to come. The day begins with ritual showers (oil bath) followed by prayers, and then the sumptuous feast along with a special dish, a specific mixture of -

1) Neem Buds/Flowers for Bitter
2) Raw Mango for Tangy/Umami
3) Green Chilli for Hot/Spice
4) Jaggery/Sugar for Sweet
5) Tamarind Juice for Sour
6) Pinch of Salt for Salt

This mixture with all six tastes is called "Ugadi Pachhadi/Pickle" in Telugu and "Bevu-Bella" in Kannada, symbolizes the fact that life is a mixture of different experiences (sadness, happiness, anger, fear, disgust, surprise), which should be accepted together and with equanimity.

Sweet, salty, sour, spicy, bitter and umami
All the six with a mix make one’s life yummy
Each of these has its own esteem and taste
None of these can be termed as a waste
These basic components depict states of life
From the start till the stall, in small or rife
Every person will have his or her own share
But should handle the times with utmost care
Treating them with balance is challenging
Winning them treats us with the zing thing
Troop would say hail ‘the queen’ or ‘the king’
Swoop the way and sail on the success wing…

Many many happy returns of the day.

All the best and take care….

With thanks, regards and best wishes,
G.Srikanth.

# posted by Srikanth @ 2:30 PM