Happy Gudhi Padwa!

It was gudhi padwa yesterday, the start of Maharashtrian New Year! It is considered to be 1 of the most auspicious days of the Hindu calendar- 1 of the 3 and half muhurtas, as it is called! Traders try to make their most important deals on this day; for laymen, its the day when you make the most important shopping of the year, like house, car, gold or even saris!

Its the day which symbolizes the arrival of Spring, with markets loaded with bright yellow marigold flowers (zhendu chi fule) and mango trees swinging with fresh green leaves (paalavi). Maharashtrians celebrate gudhi padwa by erecting gudhis i.e. long bamboo sticks erected in their balconies or windows, with its end covered with bright silk cloth and garlands of zhendu flowers, mango and neem leaves, and sugar cakes, everything covered with a tambya, or a vessel kept upside down.



This gudhi is the symbol of the vibrant and fresh spring, and harvest season, as well as of victory and will. This is day when Brahma created the world after the deluge. This is also celebrated as the day when Lord Ram returned to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana.

In traditional marathi households, people erect these gudhis (also called the Brahma-Dhwaj) in the morning, and worship them with flowers, haldi-kunku and diyas. These gudhis are kept erected till the twilight. They also prepare a naivedya for the gudhi, with a typical maharashtrian sweet dish like puran-poli or shrikhand. They also eat a chutney of Neem leaves on this day, and it is believed that this neem leaves chutney purifies the blood and gives them immunity for the rest of the year.

This was also my first gudhi padwa out of India. And I so much missed my dear family in Pune, as also the festive celebrations and the joy that is in the air on this day there. We did celebrate this gudhi padwa in our own way though, & i tried my hand with gulab jamuns on this gudhi padwa! Sweet way to start this new year, isn't it!