Happy Gudi Padwa, Ugadi & Chaitra Navratri

Gudi Padwa celebrates Hindu New Year and beginning of nine days of Navratri. “The festival of Gudi Padwa that we are celebrating today,is also celebrated in other parts of India, even in the South. Everywhere this festival is celebrated. The ‘Samvat’ calendar year that was started (By King Vikramaditya) and the calendar year started by Shalivahanas, both start on the same day. That day is today. All over the country this day (New Year) is celebrated. All the important dates in the year are fixed on that basis especially the festivals.

We people (Indians) follow the lunar calendar whereas the westerners follow the sun calendar. That’s why their festival dates do not change. Here (in India ) every festival is based on the position of the moon. And that’s why the dates keep changing and the same festival falls on different dates, in different years. The reason why we give importance to the moon and keep all our dates according to its position, is that the moon has an influence on human beings. The sun does not. Along with the moon, other planets also have influence on us.

That is why we follow the lunar calendar and fix our festivals accordingly. There is one festival however, where the date is as per position of the sun. When the sun starts its movement from southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere, that date is celebrated as a festival (Sankranti). Whatever it is, we must think as to why we give so much importance to the moon. The reason is that we should remain vigilant about the effects that the moon has on us. The biggest effect that the moon has on us is because our left side is based on it. Very few people know about it. This left side of the body which is recognised and accepted so much in our country, has psychological effects on us.

Effects on the left side are psychological and not intellectual, and we cannot control it. Whatever psychological problems we have, cannot be controlled. We cannot control the effect of the moon on us. That’s why the position of the moon is seen and lunar dates are observed. For example if it is a no-moon night (Amavasya) or a full moon night (Poornima) then the problem of a person, having epilepsy or any other psychological problem, will aggravate further. One can immediately see very clearly that such a person has been affected by the full moon or no-moon. That’s why we are very much sensitive towards the position of moon and date of lunar month. In our country detailed calculations are done on this, to know about the exact timings and position of the eclipse, and when it will end.. All this shows that in our country a lot of care is taken about the positions of the moon on the of lunar calendar and so much has been discussed and written about it.

Now we live in these modern times, where the dates and festivals are based on the position of the sun. But this is not correct. We must see the position of the moon- what is its position today, what will it be tomorrow, how it will affect us today. This is a very deep subject about which we all must know and it should be discussed in our country. So this day is celebrated because it’s a new year day and also because the new moon appears on this day. Its is called Gudi Padwa. On this day they put up a small pitcher on a stick with a small flag. The pitcher represents the Kundalini.

Shalivahana Kings were worshippers of the Goddess and it is said that they used to present a Shawl to the Goddess. They were also called as Savannah in the beginning, because they recognised the seven chakras (Savannah means seven chakras). That’s why they were earlier called as Satvahana but later it changed to Shalivahana. But the symbol of Shalivahana used to be Gudi, means a flag, and above that a pitcher of a particular shape, which represented the Kundalini. They were worshippers of Kundalini. They recognised and worshipped Kundalini.

That is the reason that they have made it like this, and all those, who accepted it, also put up a ‘Gudi’ in their houses. You can say they put up a flag. They (Shalivahans) wanted to welcome Kundalini on this day and that is why Kundalini (in the form of pitcher) was exhibited specially on that day. But people do not know why it is done like that. They just go on doing things like that. At least they should ask, why it is done like this? What is this thing? Because they were Satvahana and accepted the seven chakras, they used to worship and protect the Kundalini, so they started their new year like this.

They celebrated their new year in which there was a small pitcher and below that a flag , called Gudi, was attached. In Delhi/North India) people do not know about it. But Samvat Year and Vikram year, both started from this day. It may be that the year in which they started was different, but the date that both started was the same, i.e. today’s date. Both recognised the same no-moon night. In this way this Gudi Padwa is observed by both. Not on no-moon night, but on the first day of the new fortnight (Prathama). This is why there is no moon in the sky tonight, and it is completely dark.”

Gudi Padwa which is also known as Ugadi or Yugadi in South India is a festival celebrated to welcome spring season and New Year. The first day of the Chaitra month is celebrated as Gudi Padwa by the Hindus. It is the beginning of the Hindu New Year. It is known as the Chaitra Shukla Pratipada by the Marathas. Alternatively, it marks the celebration of welcoming the season of spring or fruitfulness. Throughout the country this day is observed by different names. Rituals and various other activities commence right from the sunrise and are carried out throughout the day.

Gudi is a stick that is covered in a beautiful, bright cloth covered with an inverted silver or copper pot. Gudi Padwa marks the beginning of the New Year according to the Luni-solar Hindu calendar. Gudi Padwa also marks the onset of the Vasanth ritu or the spring season. It is also known as Ugadi in the state of Andhra Pradesh, Yugadi in Karnataka . It is celebrated in different ways in different places and with much enthusiasm in Maharashtra. Gudi Padwa is an Indian festival that marks the beginning of the New Year and the harvest season for the people of Maharashtra. This festival is celebrated on the first day of the month of Chaitra, according to the Hindu calendar, which usually falls during March-April according to the Gregorian calendar.

Celebrated on the first day of the Chaitra month, Gudi Padwa marks the beginning of the New Year according to the Luni-solar Hindu calendar. For a nation that takes great pride in its agricultural prowess, Gudi Padwa is an extremely important harvest festival. It is celebrated during spring and is also a harvest festival celebrated in Maharashtra and in Konkan areas. Gudi Padwa is observed in the month of Chaitra, according to the luni-solar calendar, and is considered an auspicious day that marks the New Year, celebrates the onset of spring and the reaping of Rabi crops. Happy Gudi Padwa and Ugadi