UGADI - THE HINDU NEW YEAR (Customs & Traditions)

8/14/2019 UGADI - THE HINDU NEW YEAR (Customs & Traditions)

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Om! Gam! Ganapathaye! Namaha!Om! Sri Raghavendraya Namaha!

Om! Namo! Bhagavathe! Vasudevaya!Om! Ham! Hanumathe! Sri Rama Doothaya Namaha!

UGADI THE HINDU NEW YEAR

Significance

Ugadi is basically a Hindu festival signifying the time element of the Universewhich is celebrated as a new year day coinciding with the first day of ChaitraMasa Sukla paksha Prathama Thithi as per the Hindu Lunar Calendar called

Chandramana. As per Chandramana the month is denoted by the star on thefull moon day. For example when the full moon day is in the starconstellation of Chitta (Chitra) that month is referred to as Chaitra Masawhose beginning day is celebrated as Ugadi.

It is a festival mainly celebrated in the southern part of India andMaharashtra. In Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka it is celebrated as Ugadiwhile in Maharashtra it is called as Gudi Padwa. In all the three states it iscelebrated as per Chandramana. In Tamil Nadu and Kerala it is celebrated

as per Sowramana on the day when Sun enters the Mesha Raasi in thezodiac called as Mesha Sankranthi which generally falls in March-April everyyear which is referred to as Solar New Year.

Vasantha Ruthu (season) is the first among the seasons, Mesha Raasi is thefirst among the zodiac signs, Chaitra Masa is the first among the Maasa,Sukla Paksha is the first among the fortnights, Prathama (Paadyami) is thefirst thithi among the thithis. The day coinciding with the confluence of theabove is celebrated as Ugadi. It is an occasion that also signifies the end of

an era and also beginning of a new era. It also indicates the onset of springseason called Vasantha Ruthu first among the six seasons in a year( Vasantha, Greeshma, Varsha, Sharad, Hemantha, and Sisira ).

The word Ugadi is derived from the word Yugaadi (Yuga + Aadi). Yugameans the period or era and Aadi means the beginning. Ugasya Aadi =Ugadi. Uga means star movement, the day when creation was started, the


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day on which Yuga has commenced. It is the beginning of an Era/Yugacalled as Ugadi which specifically mentions the period in which currently weare living. Sakha calendar begins with the month of Chaitra Masa which fallsgenerally during March/April every year that marks the beginning of the New

Year Ugadi.

Ugadi is said to be the day when Lord Brahma had commenced the creationcalled as Brahma Kalpa. Beginning of Kalpa is called Kalpaadi and beginningof Yuga is called Yugaadi. To commemorate the commencement of Creation,this day is celebrated as Ugadi. In simple terms it is said to be the daywhen Kali Yuga had begun.

It is said that as per Valmiki Ramayana Lord Sri Rama had killed the demonRavanasura on the day previous to Ugadi falling on the New Moon Day(Amavasya) of the last lunar Month Phalguna. To commemorate the victoryand achievement next day is celebrated as a festival symbolizing thebeginning of new period.

Ugadi The Time Element

Ugadi means time analysis. As said earlier Ugadi is treated as the beginningof Creation by Lord Brahma and it also signifies the present period in whichwe are living. Presently we are in the Era of Salivahana called SalivahanaSakha, of the first leg of Kali Yuga (the 4th Era of 28 th Maha Yuga) in the 7 th Manvanthara called Vaivasvatha Manvanthara of the Kalpa called SwethaVaraha Kalpa.

As per Vedamana it is believed that the creation had started approx 197crore years back. As per Yuga pramana life span of Kali Yuga is 432,000years out of which 5111 years have past. As per the Sakha calendar it is1932 years since the beginning of Salivahana Sakha corresponding to theEnglish calendar year 2010. Chandramana Calendar has sixty year cycleand each year Ugadi is denoted by a specific name starting from Prabhavaand ending with Akshaya. After completion of sixty years the calendar startsanew with its first name again.


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TRADITIONS & CUSTOMS OF UGADI

Thailabhyanganam

Lot of significance is given on this day to Head bath with Thil oil calledThailabhyanganam. It is believed that those who do not take head bath onthis day will go to hell.

Sun Worship

Ugadi is once again a Sun centric festival. Sun is the soul of Kalapurusha (Lordof time). Without soul there is no existence of man, so also there is no timewithout Sun. Sun is said to be the seventh Manuvu in whose name the

present Manvanthara is being called as Vaivaswatha Manvanthara the periodin which we are currently living. Lot of significance is given to Sun worshipduring this Manvanthara. On this day Sun sets his journey towards East andwhen he enters Mesha Rasi (Aries) becomes very powerful. AstrologicallySun in Mesha Raasi is said to be in exalted position. Sun worship and SuryaArghya on this day is very sacred and auspicious.

Nimba Kusuma Bhakshana

Nimba means Neem and Kusuma means flower. Tradition is that on this daypeople eat in the morning after the bath a pickle (sauce) made with acombination of six ingredients that gives six different tastes (Shadruchi).The ingredients are Neem flowers, raw mango, jaggery, new tamarind,dry/green chillies, and salt. In some places people use sugar cane instead of

jaggery and pepper instead of chillies. It is popularly called as UgadiPachhadi in Telugu, Bevu-Bella in Kannada.

It is a mixture of six different tastes viz. bitter (neem), sweet (Jaggery),sour (tamarind) salty (salt), hot/spicy (chillies/pepper), and tang (rawmango). The philosophy in eating this sauce with six tastes is to say thatlife is not a bed of roses it is a mixture of sadness, happiness, anger, fear,disgust, and surprise which has to be accepted together with equanimity. Itis said that by eating this pickle on this day one gets courage to faceobstacles in life.


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There is also a health message involved in eating this. Neem is good fordiabetes, skin diseases and acts as a blood purifier. It is called as Sarva roganivarini. Even today usage of neem leaves is prevalent in rural areaswhenever any one is infected with small pox/chicken pox. Jaggery helps in

increasing the hemoglobin content of blood that help in curing irondeficiency, Tamarind helps in removing excess of kapha, vata, and pitta, rawMango works in throat related problems and enhances the appetite, Saltgives energy, Chillies removes kapha and vatha, pepper helps in cold andworks in throat related problems.

Panchanga Sravanam

Panchangam means an almanac that contains the astronomical/astrologicaldaily details mainly related to Thithi, Day (Vara), Nakshatra, Yoga andKarana called as Pancha Anga (five limbs or five elements) that helps inidentifying various auspicious/inauspicious moments of electional astrology.Panchanga also indicates forecasts for eclipses, weather, monsoon, transit of planets, implications to individuals based on their birth stars, zodiac signs,rashi phala, and general trend with respect to economy, political scenario.

The almanac Panchangam involves lot of mathematical and geometricalcalculations based on side real system, understanding of astronomicalphenomena such as movements of heavenly bodies the Sun, Moon and otherplanets. Mainly Panchanga is based on Surya Siddhantha or Dhrugganitha.These panchangas are published by various authors in various regionallanguages based on different philosophies prevailing in Hindu religion.

On the day of Ugadi people traditionally gather to listen from the learned,the recitation of Panchangam for the forthcoming year and the generalforecast. In the present days of Television Technology this type of gatherings have come down as people listen Panchanga Sravanam from alive telecast by various regional Television Channels.

It is said and believed that by doing Panchanga Sravanam and praying theNavagraha at this moment on Ugadi day, auspicious results can be attained.

Thithescha sriyamapnothi varaadayushya vardhanamNakshathradharathe papam, yogadroganivaranam

Karanathkarya siddhisthu panchangaphalamutthamamKala Vithkarma Kruddhimaan Devathanugraham Labheth


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Meaning: Thithi gives wealth, Vara enhances the longevity, Nakshatraremoves the sins, Yoga cures the diseases, and Karana gives success indeeds. One who does the karma by knowing the above will have Divineblessings. That is why every day during Sandhya vandana (daily prayer)

one is required to do Sankalpa where in, all the above five elements arerecited.

Panchanga Sravana on the day of Ugadi is very auspicious. It is said that itwill give the result (phala) of taking bath in sacred river Ganges, blessings of Navagraha. Sun gives courage and glory, Moon gives status, Mars givesauspiciousness, Mercury gives intelligence, Jupiter gives knowledge, Venusgives comfort and happiness, Saturn removes sorrow and obstacles, Rahugives popularity, and Kethu gives significance.

Prapadanam (chalivendram)

Donating water starting from this day for 4 months (summer months) is saidto be very auspicious and sacred.

Prapeyam SarvaSamanya Bhoothebhya: prathipadithaPradanathPitharasarve Thrupyanthucha PithamahaAnivaarya Mithodeyam Jalammaasa Chathustayam

We would have observed in many towns voluntary organizations erecting thespots called Chalivendram where passersby are served with water stored inearthen pots covered with cloth during summer months. It is said that bydoing this activity all the fore fathers gets pleased.

Udakakumbha daana

Udaka means water, Kumbha means pot. Giving charity of water stored in apot made up of Copper, Silver, or at least earthen pot (made up of mud)covered with a new cloth to a Brahmin during this period is said to be verysacred that gives multifold results.

Yesha DharmaGhato Dhattoh Brahma Vishnu SivathmakaAsya Pradhanathsakalam mamasanthu manoratha

Meaning this water pot called Dharma Ghata signifies the trinal lords(Brahma, Vishnu and Siva) bring unto me fulfillment of all desires.


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Vasantha Navarathri

Lord Sri Krishna said that Masaanaam Margasirshoham, RuthunaamKusumaakara meaning the month Margasira is the most sacred among the

months and Vasantha (Kusuma) or spring season is the most sacred amongthe seasons.

Like we celebrate nine day festival during Dussera season, similarly a nineday spring festival is celebrated beginning with Ugadi (Chaitra SuklaPaadyami) and ending with Sri Rama Navami. During these nine daysGoddess Devi/Durga is worshipped. In some places it is celebrated as RamaNavarathri worshiping Lord Sri Rama during these nine days. People alsoperform parayana of sacred books during the nine days like Ramayana,Sundarakanda, and Devi Bhagavatham.

Gudi Padwa

Ugadi is celebrated as Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra state. Gudi meansDwajam and Padwa means the first day of the New Year. It is customaryamong the Maharastrian families to erect on this day in front of the house abamboo stick topped with upturned silver/copper pot decorated with flowers,coloured silk cloth and coconuts. It is worshipped as Brahma Dwajam/IndraDwajam indicating invitation to all the deities to the house on this day. Italso symbolizes welcoming the New Year with victory or achievement, joyand happiness. On this day people also eat a mixture of neem leaves,tamarind, jaggery, gram pulse.

In Tamil Nadu Ugadi is celebrated as Puthandu (Varusha Pirappuv) festivaland in Kerala it is celebrated as Vishu festival. It is celebrated as a NewYears day even in Punjab, Assam, West Bengal, Orissa states. In Punjab itis called as Baisakhi. In Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka it is also marked byliterary discussion, poetry recitations, honouring and recognition of authorsof literary and poetic works, cultural programs, Kavi Sammelana etc. In theevening people gather together and exchange greetings.

In some of the regions especially in Andhra Pradesh there is a myth thathow one live on the day of Ugadi similar will be the way one live throughout the year. More than the myth the philosophy is we reap what we sow as the


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old saying goes. You sow the good then you reap the good. A goodthought/action has a good result and an evil thought/action has a bad result.We are the makers of our own fate. As per Karma Philosophy we sow seedsof Karma for our future births through our thoughts and vision and plan for

our Karma (Agami Karma) in future births. To attain good results, thefoundation we lay for our thought/action should be good from day oneperhaps from the Ugadi Day.

! Sarvejanaah Sukhinobhavanthu!

Wishing you all a happy and prosperousNew Year - Ugadi

Sri Krishnaarpanamasthubhargavasarma

Documents

UGADI - THE HINDU NEW YEAR (Customs & Traditions)