Ugadi Festival

This festival is celebrated on Chaitra Shukla Prathama, the beginning day of a Samvathsara (Year). Hence it is a New Year Day. For this festival, the front door is decorated with colorful Rangoli and festoons of Mango leaves. During Ugadi, Neem leaves are also used in the festoons along with Mango leaves garland.

Rituals for Ugadi

Get up early in the morning, before sunrise, have head bath and wash all god and goddess v‏igraha which are worshipped everyday kept in pooja room. Wear new clothes for the occasion. Flowers of neem, mango, Jaggery are to be offered to God during pooja. After pooja to God, Panchanga for the new Samvathsara has to be worshipped. In this festival, Bevu Bella is to be eaten together signifying the mixture of sweet, sour and bitter. This is to be taken with the mantra: "Shatayur vajra dehatwam sarva sampath pradam thathaa Sarvarishta haram kurve nimbapatraashanam shubham". Panchanga Shravana has to be made can be recited or heard. These have details of the planetary rulers for the samvathsara, their phalas, the phala due to the occurrence of (Sun entering Makara rashi), Sankranthi purusha lakshana and the phalas due to planets Guru and Shani position during the year.

Ugadi pachchadi is made of neem flowers, raw mango, chilies, salt, jaggery and tamarind which reflects our life like a combination of six different tastes (sweet, sour, spice, salt, tangy, and bitter) signifying happiness, disgust, anger, fear, surprise, and sadness.

Ugadi Festival Food Menu Items

The festival dishes like Lemon rice and Holige are prepared. They are offered to God as Naivedya and the Prasada is taken. Theertha should be taken before the Prasada.