UGADHI (TELUGU NEW YEAR)PACHADI

UGADHI

Ugadi is celebrated in many states like Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Significance of Ugadi: The name "Ugadi" came from Yuga + Aadi which means "Beginning of a New age. It is believed that the creator according to Hinduism, Lord Brahma started his work of creation on the Chaitra suddha padhyami(Ugadi).

Customs IN UGADHI

Preparations for the festival begin a week ahead. Houses are given a thorough wash. Shopping for new clothes and buying other items that go with the requirements of the festival are done with a lot of excitement.

On Ugadi Day, people wake up before the break of dawn and take a head bath after which they decorate the entrance of their houses with fresh mango leaves. The significance of tying mango leaves relates to a legend. It is said that Kartik (or Subramanya or Kumara Swamy) and Ganesha, the two sons of Lord Siva and Parvathi were very fond of mangoes. As the legend goes Kartik exhorted people to tie green mango leaves to the doorway signifying a good crop and general well-being.

It is noteworthy that we use mango leaves and coconuts (as in a Kalasam, to initiate any pooja) only on auspicious occasions to propitiate gods. People also splash fresh cow dung water on the ground in front of their house and draw colorful floral designs. This is a common sight in every household. People perform the ritualistic worship to God invoking his blessings before they start off with the new year. They pray for their health, wealth and prosperity and success in business too. Ugadi is also the most auspicious time to start new ventures.

The celebration of Ugadi is marked by religious zeal and social merriment. Special dishes are prepared for the occasion. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, eatables such as "pulihora, bobbatlu (Bhakshalu/ polelu/ oligalu), New Year Burelu and Pachadi" and preparations made with raw mango go well with the occasion. In Karnataka too, similar preparations are made but called "puliogure" and "holige". The Maharashtrians make "puran poli" or sweet rotis.

Ugadi Pachadi

Ugadi pachchadi is a dish synonymous with Ugadi. It is made of new jaggery, raw mango pieces, neem flowers, and new tamarind which truly reflect life, however taste is not so delicious — a combination of six different tastes (Shut-Ruchi)(sweet, sour, spicy or pungent, salty, astringent and bitter) symbolizing happiness, disgust, anger, fear, surprise, and sadness. The eating of a sauce composed of six tastes - sourness by a raw mango and from tamarind, sweetness with molasses or jaggery, salt, bitterness from neem flowers, astringent from neem flowers as well as from a small amount taken of tender mango seed or skin, spicy/hot/pungent from black pepper or chilli powder - mixed in water, called Ugadi Pachhadi in Telugu symbolizes this. The ingredients of this 'Pachchadi' may vary slightly in different regions but the symbolic meaning is the same in each case.

The special mixture consists of all the flavours which the tongue can perceive, and one could say that each flavour symbolizes a feeling or emotion which is natural in life :
Neem Buds/Flowers for its bitterness, signifying sadness
Jaggery for sweetness, signifying happiness
Green Chilli/Pepper for its hot taste, signifying anger
Salt for saltiness, signifying fear
Tamarind Juice for its sourness, signifying disgust
Neem Flowers and small amount of tender mango seed for making it astringent adding an element of surprise

Special dishes

Bobbattu or Bhakshalu/Holigey -prepared on Ugadi in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, a special dish called Bobbattu (Polelu) (Puran Poli) (Oliga) are prepared on this occasion. This special dish is called Bhakshalu in Telangana. These are eaten along with the Ugadi Pachchadi mentioned earlier. In Karnataka a special dish called Obbattu, or Holige  is prepared. It consists of a filling (gram and jaggery/sugar boiled and made in to a paste) stuffed in a flat roti-like bread. It is usually eaten hot or cold with ghee or milk topping or coconut milk at some places of Karnataka.

Recitation of the Pachangam Almanac

Later, people traditionally gather to listen to the recitation of the religious Panchangam (almanac) of the new year, and the general forecast of the year to come. This is called the Panchanga Sravanam, an informal social function where an elderly and respected person will read the almanac. Panchamgam also contains astrology based on moon signs.

In Telugu, the greeting is "kroththa yeta" / "ugadi panduga" palukarimpulu, or "ugadi subhaakankshalu" - (Greetings for the festival of ugadi) and "Nutana samvastara shubhaakankshalu" - (Greetings on the new year).

In Kannada, the greeting is "Yugadi Habbada Shubhaashayagalu" -  (Greetings for the festival of Yugadi) or "Hosa varshada shubhashayagalu" - (Greetings on the new year).

In Konkani, it would be Navve varsaache shubhaashay, Samsar padvyache shubhaashay.

In Marathi, it would beGudhi padvyachya hardik shubhechcha.

Predictions for the year

Ugadi marks the beginning of a new Hindu lunar calendar with a change in the moon's orbit. It is a day when mantras are chanted and predictions made for the new year. Traditionally, the panchangasravanam or listening to the yearly calendar was done at the temples or at the Town square but with the onset of modern technology, one can get to hear the priest-scholar on television sets right in one's living room.


ugadhi pachadi recipe

UGADHI PACHADI

Ingredients

1 ½ cup water.
2 tbsp. peeled and chopped raw mango pieces.
Few neem sprigs with flowers or 1 tbsp. flowers.
Generous pinch salt or as needed.
3 tbsp. Jaggery as needed.
One generous pinch pepper powder.
1/2 less spice green chilli
Tamarind as needed or 1 tsp tamarind pulp.

Method:

wash and soak tamarind in water till it is soft enough to get a juice. It should be thin and watery.(approximately 3 cups).  Add some jaggery mix to it, so that it dissolves completely. Then add neem flowers or buds, green chillies, pich of pepper powder, Chopped bannana, salt and mango pieces. Mix them well. your UGADHI PACHADI IS READY......

serve before god and do neivedhya and serve all.....

Let the new year give you courage and all goodness to face the challenges we face in our life and to cross them easily and succeed in life.....

UGADHI SUBHAKANKSHALU FRIENDS.....