This beautiful festival of Spring which is also known as Chandramana Ugadi usually falls in the months of March or April. The word Ugadi comes from the words ‘Yuga’ which means ‘age’ and ‘Adi’ which means ‘beginning in Sanskrit. It is considered the start of the Hindu lunar calendar — especially in the southern states of Telangana, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.
This festival symbolizes the warm weather that comes after the cold days. It is considered auspicious as it is the beginning of a new year and new beginnings.
It is considered that Ugadi is the day when Brahma had begun the creation of the universe. According to Hindu mythology when Brahma, the architect of the universe, was born, he could not see any other being. He wondered who he was, from where he came, and what his purpose was. This leads him to search for the answers in all directions.
Though he searched everywhere, he failed to find his purpose and meditated for 100 of his years (one day of Brahma is equal to 4.32 billion solar years), which helped him in understanding his purpose to design and engineer the universe.
Besides celebrating the great day Brahma began creating the universe. Ugadi is the time that reflects the importance of slowing down and committing or recommitting ourselves to yogic and meditation practices. Practicing such processes help us get better and connect with the Divine, providing the necessary instinct which shows how to move ahead in life.
It is also considered that on the day of Ugadi, Lord Rama was crowned as the king of Ayodhya. The Ramayana, which is one of India’s great epics tells us the story of a prince named Rama who is the eldest of his father’s sons. Rama was set to inherit the kingdom of Ayodhya but was prevented from doing so. The reason being his jealous stepmother who made him exile to the forest for 14 years. So that her own son, Bharat, can become the emperor instead.
Bharat, who always loved and respected his elder brother was thus disgusted by his mother’s actions. The citizens of the kingdom also loved Rama immensely and were deeply saddened as they watched him move to the forest along with his wife, Sita, and his other brother, Lakshman.
Hence, Bharat decided and promised to return the throne to Rama once he returned from exile. After a great war, the great demon king Ravana who kidnapped Sita was killed.
Therefore, Ugadi is honored by many people as on that day Rama was officially crowned king. This was a moment that symbolized the victory of good over evil, and the beginning of an auspicious time.
India is home to a variety of cultures and practices. The Hindu new year is naturally celebrated all over the country with different names. Two of which include Vaisakhi (or Baisakhi) and Gudi Padwa. While the customs and traditions are very much unique and hold a specialty to each region’s particular festival, the overall messages of hope, growth, and love are ultimately the same.
We at Mulam aim at connecting everyone back to their roots by providing organic products and bringing out the essence of our festivals.
We also host a weekly farmers market, follow us on Instagram to know the details and the locations of our markets.
