Ugadi

The President and the Vice President greeted the nation on occasion of the Chaitra Sukladi or the Ugadi festival.

About the Festival

Ugadi is the New Year’s Day celebration for the Kannada and the Telugu people in South India. It is celebrated on the first day of the Hindu calendar month of Chaitra. The festival is usually celebrated in March or April.

Celebration

The festival is mainly celebrated by the Kannada and Telugu people in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The celebrations involve drawing of rangoli, hanging of mango leaf decorations called torana, exchanging of gifts, sharing of food called pachadi, temple visits, etc.

Variations

The festival is observed in several parts of India under different names: Yugadi in Karnataka, Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra, Ugadi in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Cheti Chand in the Sindhi region, Sajibu Cheiraoba in Manipur, etc. Some parts also celebrate it as Navreh.