Ugadi festival is celebrated in different parts of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. It is the start of the New Year for people in these states. The festival is celebrated in the month of March or April.

It is also about welcoming the spring season when you can see flower blooms everywhere. It is about the gift of nature we are blessed with and nature is at its peak. It is believed that Lord Brahma started creating our earth on this day. The day is known as –‘Chaitra Shudda Padyami’.

People of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh call it Ugadi whereas it is known as "Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra.

Festivals are significant

Indian people are staying almost in different parts of the world but festivals still are a significant part of their lives. They celebrate all the festivals no matter what part of the world they are located.

With the help of Online Pooja items store in USA or any other country, Indians can celebrate every festival without worrying about the required items for puja.

Ugadi Celebrations

On the very auspicious day of Ugadi, people rise early and take a head bath early morning.  They use mango leaves and flower garlands to decorate their entrances.

Water mixed with cow dung is sprinkled in yards. The yards are decorated using with flowers for Rangoli like

• Marigold
• Coconut flowers
• Orange roses
• Lilly and many more

Delicious food prepared on Ugadi

No festival in Indian tradition is completed without food.  The main food prepared on Ugadi day is mostly rice dish. It is made with rice and green mangoes (grated).

The food items vary with each religious custom. The main dish made using tamarind juice with 5 tastes is - "Ugadi Pacchadi"

This sweet is bitter, sour, salty, and sweet and tang. It actually represents the different modes of life, for example, sadness, happiness, bitterness and many more life experiences that we go through. It is believed that it has medicinal benefits too.

Getting ready for Ugadi

Whether you are staying in India or in USA, you don’t have to worry about getting Ugadi pooja items in USA too as different online stores stock them and deliver across the world. You just need to focus on the preparations for the celebrations. Just weeks before people start welcoming the festival.

House cleaning

People believe that cleaning your homes is the first step towards welcoming Ugadi. Thus they start with the cleaning process a week before the festival. The decoration includes lighting the house and making Rangolis. Rangolis in front of the house in different colors & flowers adds fun and excitement to the overall festival.

New clothes

People buy new clothes, gifts for their loved ones. Many people also exchange home-made sweets with their friends and family on the auspicious day of Ugadi.

Celebrating the day with great joy

Finally, on the auspicious day of Ugadi festival, all the family members get ready wearing new clothes after taking an oil bath. They decorate the idols of deities and also dress up the deities' idols with new clothes.

Ideally, the pooja is performed by the eldest family member and fresh flowers are used to decorate the idol of the deity. Mango leaves are used for the front door and window decoration in most houses.

Ugadi events

Many events are organized on Ugadi day. The events comprise poetry recitation etc.

Significance of the festival 

The festival holds a lot of significance as it is the beginning of the New Year and also welcoming the spring. It is also thanking nature for its bountiful gifts. The festival includes a lot of celebrations following the rituals that help to begin the New Year on a great note.

Women also buy gold ornaments to welcome the New Year. As the New Year begins from this day, people try to incorporate a lot of new things in lives for example, new clothes, new house, new ornaments etc. As Gudi Padwa or New year is celebrated in Maharashtra, it is believed that it is an auspicious day to buy a new vehicle, new furniture, gold etc, many people who wish to buy anything new choose this day to purchase such things.

Overall, Ugadi is a great festival to start anything new and welcoming New Year with great joy and love.