The holy festival of GudiPadwa will be celebrated on March 30 this year. This festival marks the beginning of the new year in Maharashtra. It also begins a new month and day for Hindus. Celebrated on the first day of Chaitra, it is called Yugaadi (Ugadi) in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. It is believed that Lord Brahma created the universe on this day. People take a auspicious bath, decorate their doors with garlands, perform rituals and pooja and hoist the Gudi (flag) or Dharma Dhwaj.
The word Padwa (or Padva) comes from two parts: "Pad" and "Vaa." "Pad" means maturity and moving toward perfection, while "Vaa" means growth. After Lord Brahma created the universe, it was called "Pad" because it was complete. Over time, changes and improvements were made to make it ideal. This day of creating the perfect universe became known as Padwa(or Padva) Later, with the tradition of hoisting the Dharma Dhwaj, the festival came to be called GudiPadwa.A long-standing tradition on this day is preparing a paste made of neem leaves, tamarind, jaggery and salt. After this, the festival commences.
GudiPadwa is celebrated as a harvest festival. Since agriculture holds a strong prominence in India, many festivals mark the start or end of farming seasons. GudiPadwa marks the end of the Rabi season.GudiPadwa is also a celebration for well-being and prosperity. People decorate their homes with bright colors and wear traditional clothes. Sweets are an important part of the festival and gifts are exchanged with family and friends. Feasts are also held as people gather to celebrate this vibrant festival.
Like Diwali, people clean their homes and remove unwanted items. Many repaint their houses and decorate their gates with mango leaves. Visiting temples for blessings is common, and hoisting the Dharma Dhwaj is a key tradition of GudiPadwa. This flag that is also called Brahmadhvaj (the flag of Lord Brahma, the creator) holds great significance. Homes are decorated with rangolis and a variety of dishes are prepared.
The tradition of making “puranpolis” has been followed for many years. People visit each other to exchange greetings, make phone calls to distant relatives and celebrate with great joy and enthusiasm.
Share this post