Indore: Hindu festivals Gudi Padwa and Ugadi will be celebrated on Saturday. This is an auspicious time and marks the beginning of spring. While Gudi Padwa is a Maharashtrian New Year day and is celebrated in Maharashtra, Ugadi is the New Year’s day for people of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. In Karnataka, the festival is celebrated as Yugadi.
With residents from all the states residing in Indore, the celebrations would be observed in different communities in the city. The day will mark the beginning of Chaitra Navratri. Following the common practice, festive food would be prepared. The food is a concoction of six ingredients, each symbolising an emotion, to be consumed by family members.
These include neem buds/ flowers (sadness), jaggery (happiness), green chilli (anger), salt (fear), tamarind (disgust) and unripe mango (surprise). This is a solemn reminder that one must expect all flavours of life in New Year and make most of them.
Preparing Gudi
Gudi Padwa, though usually celebrated by Maharashtrians, is now celebrated by other Hindu communities. Gudi, which means a doll, is put up in Maharashtrian homes.
Festive Food
The most loved and festive food of the day’s celebration is sakkar bhaat (sweet rice), shrikhand and puri, and puran poli. These are generally prepared in Maharastrian households. In Indore, many homemakers will prepare these dishes and make them available for everyone on phone orders and even put up temporary stalls at Sarafa market. A special bath is followed by oil treatment on the day and a special food called pachadi is cooked in the households on Ugadi.
Colourful Rangoli
Making rangoli is part of most celebrations and New Year day is no exception. These rangolis are not only decorative but is said to bring good luck. Traditionally, rangolis are created using flour, coloured rice, sand or flower petals. Traditional rangoli designs include Lakshmi footsteps, kalash, swastik, mango motifs, and geometric shapes and designs.
