Gudi Padwa, also called Samvatsar Padvo, is celebrated on the first day of the Chaitra month (March/ April) of the Hindu calendar. The name Gudi Padwa is made using two words. ‘Gudi’ means flag or emblem. ‘Padwa’ means the first day of the phase of the moon. On this day, Lord Brahma is believed to have created the universe and the concept of days, weeks, months and years.

On Gudi Padwa, a long bamboo stick is fixed onto the ground. Its tip is tied with a bright colored zari cloth, and some gaathi (sugar crystals), neem leaves, mango leaves and a garland of red flowers. The ingredients represent the sweet and bitter natures of life. A copper or silver pot (kalash) is placed in an inverted position over the tip of this stick. The Gudi signifies the victory of good over evil and wards off negative energies.

Picture Credit: Rogertex2100, Flickr.

Zoroastrians worldwide have three calendars, the Shahenshahi, Qadimi and Fasli calendars. The New Year as per Fasli calendar is the Spring Equinox and therefore Navroz is on March 21. However Parsis in India mostly follow the Shahenshahi calendar. It does not take leap years into account. Therefore Parsi New Year is celebrated in India with a lag, now in the month of August. The celebrations begin on the eve of the New Year and are known as Pateti.

Source: Prochy Mehta, Telegraph

Picture Credit: Asian Age

Ugadi, Yugadi or Samvatsaradi is celebrated on the first day of the waxing phase of the moon in the month of Chaitra. Hindus living between the Vindhya-Kaveri belt celebrate it as a New Year day. The name Ugadi or Yugadi is derived from the Sanskrit roots of Yuga or “age”; and Adi, which means, “beginning.” Combined, this word means “the beginning of a new age.” The reckoning of time is supposed to have begun from sunrise on this day.

A dish with six tastes is prepared on Ugadi. It is called Ugadi Pacchadi in Telugu and Bevu-Bella in Kannada. Neem flowers, jaggery, tamarind, raw mango, salt and chilli are common ingredients though there are variations. The pacchadi symbolizes that we accept life in the year ahead with all its different experiences.

Source: Hindu Festivals and Sacred Days, RamaKrishna Mutt.
The Hindu New Year – Flavors of Celebration, www.dollsofindia.com

Picture Credit: Canva

Gujarat follows a luni-solar calendar like many others. However, the Gujaratis start the new year on the first day of the Kartika month. In some areas of Gujarat like Kutch & Saurashtra, the new year starts on the first of the Ashadha month (June/ July). Bestu Varas is the Gujarati New Year’s Day and people greet each other, saying “Nutan Varsha Abhinandan” or “Saal Mubarak”. This day starts by bursting plenty of firecrackers, starting as early as 4 am. Young boys gather and sell raw salt, calling it “Sabras,” meaning, “all tastes.” People decorate their homes with aaso palav and marigold torans or door hangings and draw colorful rangolis at their doorstep.

Source: The Hindu New Year – Flavors of Celebration, www.dollsofindia.com

Picture Credit: Sam Panthkay, Mint

Vishu, the new year, is an important festival for Malayalis and is second only to Onam in importance. It falls on either April 14th or 15th of each year. “Vishukani,” means the “first thing seen” on the morning of Vishu.

For this ritual, people arrange articles such as clean white cloth, jackfruit, raw rice, fresh vegetables and fruits, coconut with betel leaves, arecanut, the sacred Konna Poo (the bright yellow Cassia fistula variety of flowers), sacred texts, mirror, gold, silver, coins and money. These are kept in front of an image of Krishna and alongside a nilavilakku (lighted lamp). This Vishukani is prepared the previous night, just before going to bed. Kanikanal is the seeing of Vishukani first thing in the morning. The elder women lead children blindfolded to the Vishukani.

Source: The Encyclopedia of New Year’s Holidays Worldwide, William Crump.
The Hindu New Year – Flavors of Celebration, www.dollsofindia.com

Picture Credit: Aroon Kalandy, Flickr.

Tamils (Puthandu), Punjabis (Baisakhi), Odiyas (Bishuva) & Bengalis (Pohela Baisakh) share the same new year though they are geographically far apart from each other. They follow solar calendars unlike other parts of India. Their new year normally falls on April 14th or 15th.

Baisakhi is special for Sikhs for other reasons as well. Guru Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa panth on Baisakhi day in 1699 in Anandpur. Takht Keshgarh sahib marks the spot where he administered amrit to the Panj Pyaras, the five beloved ones, and baptized them as Khalsas. The panj pyaras came from different parts of India.

Source: Sikh Shrines in India, GS Randhir

Picture Credit: 300 year anniversary of Baisakhi at Anandpur Saheb, Gurumustuk Singh, Flickr

The tribals of Jharkhand worship their sacred groves which are known as ‘sarnas.’ Such a grove must have at least five sal trees, which are held to be sacred. It is in these groves that the tribes of Chotanagpur venerate their God and spirits. The Sarhul festival is celebrated when the sal tree starts flowering, usually in the first fortnight of the month of chaitra, coinciding with the beginning of the new year in these regions. It is usually a three-day event. However, some groups worship it for a month-long period till the time jyeshtha (or jeth) arrives. Etymologically, ‘sar’ refers to sal tree while ‘hul’ is a collective beginning.

Worship of sacred groves is an all India phenomenon and is very pronounced in Kerala, coastal Karnataka and Coorg.

Source: Hinduism and Nature, Nanditha Krishna
Outlook India

Picture Credit: Gurpreet Singh, Wikimedia Commons

Cheti Chand is an important festival for Sindhis. This day falls on the first day of the lunar month Chet (Chaitra) as per Sindhi calendar. This gives rise to the name Chet-i-Chand – the rise of full moon in the Chaitra month.

Sindhis commemorate the birth of Uderolal, more popularly known as Jhulelal, the Patron Saint of the Sindhis. On this day, people worship water, the giver of life. It is said that Jhulelal worshipped Lord Varuna, the God of Water.

Source: The Hindu New Year – Flavors of Celebration, www.dollsofindia.com

Picture Credit: Latestly

Navreh customs are remarkably similar to Vishu of Kerala that is on the other corner of India.

Kashmiri Hindus consider Navreh to be as sacred and holy as Maha Shivaratri. New year in many parts of north India is associated with the first day of Chaitra (spring) Navratra, though the autumn Navratra (Durga Puja/ Dussehra) is more well known.

On the eve of Navreh, a plate is prepared with many offerings including the nashpatra (almanac) and kreel pach(a scroll) that has the likeness of Ma Sharika, the Goddess venerated by Kashmiri Pandits. The plate also includes other items such as flowers, walnut, wye (a bitter herb), coins, pen, ink bottle, cooked rice etc. These represent food, knowledge and wealth. The entire family gathers together to look at this plate first thing in the morning. This is so similar to the Vishukani custom in Kerala. A special dish called Tahar is prepared which is turmeric rice with ghee.

It is believed that Saptarishi era of the Kashmiri Hindus started on the day of Navreh, more than 5000 years ago. It is believed that the seven rishis gathered at the dwelling of the Mother Goddess Sharika Devi to proclaim a new era.

Source: The Encyclopedia of New Year’s Holidays Worldwide, William Crump
The Hindu New Year – Flavors of Celebration, www.dollsofindia.com

Picture Credit: Aditya Raj Kaul, Twitter

The national calendar of India is based on the Saka Era. It was adopted from 22 March 1957. Chaitra is the first month and it has a normal year of 365 days. 1 Chaitra falls on 22nd March every year and on 21st March in a leap year. Both the Saka era and Gregorian calendar are official calendars.

The Saka era began in 78 CE. It probably marks the victory of the Andhra Satavahana ruler, Gautamiputra Satkarni over the Sakas who were of Iranian origin. There is no consensus on this though.

The other major era used in Hindu religious calendars is the Vikram era which began in 57BCE. It is supposed to mark the victory of Emperor Vikramaditya of Ujjain over an earlier generation of Sakas. Both Vikramaditya & Shalivahana are said to be from the same dynasty. Historians are unclear about the identity of these two kings. Other eras used in India include the Saptarshi or Laukika era, Kali era Kollam era and Bengali san etc.

Source: https://knowindia.india.gov.in

Picture Credit: Government of India

The spring or vernal equinox (Mesha Sankaranti) marks the start of spring. On this day both day and night are of equal duration. This is the traditional new year in most of India. It was also the new year in the first ever known calendar of humankind made by Mesopotamians around 2000 BCE.

On the spring equinox (Mesha Sankranti) the sun passes onto the Aries zodiac. In solar calendars (Kerala, TN, Bengal, Assam), it is around April 14th or 15th depending on how the start of the day is calculated (sunrise to sunrise vs midday to midday etc.). This date is actually 20 days behind the actual spring equinox.

The Mesha Sankranti varies in a luni-solar calendar as its date is dependent on the waxing or waning of the moon to mark the start of the month. Thus the same spring equinox is marked by a wide diversity of dates in India depending on the architecture of the calendars being used.

Source: Various

Picture Credit: Wikimedia Commons

North India, Karnataka, Andhra/ Telengana follow the luni-solar calendar. Their year consists of 12 lunar months. This is shorter than the solar year by 11 days, so the lunar calendar keeps lagging behind solar calendar. To align the lunar year to the solar year, an extra month, adhikmaas (adhik – extra, maas – month) is added approximately every three years (or precisely 7 times in 19 years). The adhikmaas is added when two new moon days (Amavasya) occur within a solar month (when the Sun passes from one zodiac to another).

The adhikmaas is also called maalmaas, maalimaacha, Purushottam maas etc. It is considered auspicious as the month of Lord Vishnu.

2023 will have an adhikmaas starting 18th July.

Source: Keeping Track of Time, Rahul Basu

Picture Credit: ISKCON Educational