Ugadi or Yugadi

Yug Adi or Ugadi.... is the beginning(Adi) of another new Year/era(yug). A harvest festival in some of the southern regions in India and yet another colourful and meaningful festival celebrated  in India.

The festival marks the new year day for people between Vindhyas and Kaveri river who follow the South Indian lunar calendar, pervasively adhered to in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa. It falls on a different day every year because the Hindu calendar is a lunisolar calendar. The Saka calendar begins with the month of Chaitra (March–April) and Ugadi marks the first day of the new year. Chaitra is the first month in Panchanga which is the Indian calendar. In some parts of India it is known asVikram Samvat or Bhartiya Nav Varsh.
While the people of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka use the term Yugadi/Ugadi for this festival, the people of Maharashtra term the same festival, observed on the same day, Gudi Padwa (Marathi: गुढी पाडवा). Marwari, people of Rajasthan celebrate the same day as their new year day Thapna. Sindhis, people from Sindh, celebrate the same day as their New Year dayCheti Chand. Manipuris also celebrate their New Year (Sajibu nongma panba) on the same day.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ugadi

http://www.ishafoundation.org/blog/sadhguru/masters-words/ugadi-message/
Chandramana Ugadi is the beginning of a new year as per the lunisolar calendar largely followed by the Indian people for many millennia. As in everything else that comes from the East, even the calendar is in terms of what it does to the human physiology and consciousness. The tilt of the globe renders the northern hemisphere to receive the highest amount of the Sun’s energy during the 21-day period that starts from Ugadi. Though it may be uncomfortable for humans in terms of the temperature soaring, this is the time when the earth’s batteries are charged. Ugadi is on the first day of the waxing moon after the first new moon post equinox, suggesting a new beginning.

Bevu-bella/ Ugadi Pacchadi/ Shad-ruchi/ Special mixture of 6 tastes

People of Andhra pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka prepare a special dish that is a blend of six tastes on this day. The dish is called as Bevu bella by the people of karnataka and in the other two states it is known as the Ugadi Pacchadi. In Sanskrit it is known as Shad-ruchi (six-tastes). It is a blend of the raw form of the following ingredients- each ingredient signifies an emotion of life.

1. Neem Buds/Flowers for its bitterness, signifying Sadness
2. Jaggery for sweetness, signifying Happiness
3. Green Chilli/Pepper for its hot taste, signifying Anger
4. Salt for saltiness, signifying Fear
5. Tamarind Juice for its sourness, signifying Disgust
6. Unripened Mango for its tang, signifying Surprise

These 6 tastes are attributed the different attributes/emotions/states of mind that make up life and living of mankind. The new year is begun by tasting this special mixture, with a belief that life is a blend and balance of these various attributes and may this new year give mankind another reason and chance to live life in a more balanced way for peace and happiness. 

In 2015 the Chandramana Ugadi coincided with calendar date of March 21st

Holi.... The festival of colours

Holi is yet another indian festival of harvest and colours.  The harvesting in different regions of india occurs at different time phases of year..due to the largely differing indian climate. Holi marks the end of winter almost completely in North India. Why play with colours? .... play with colours is a mere significance that has been long lost... the colours signify the different colours and emotions of life and man. Playing and enjoying the colours on Holi day signifies that one must accept, balance and enjoy all the colours of life equally... It has a more spiritual significance which considrs balance of life more important than enjoying the more merrier phases or colours of life because life is a bundle, a package and a colourful rainbow. each colour gives significance to the other and each shade does the same, without either, neither of the various colours have any existence or meaning.

in the olden times more natural colours were used but with advancing age of chemicals and techology man has tended more for artificial means of making not just colours but many more things.

Ratha saptami and chatth pooja/Surya shashti

Ratha Saptami or Rathasapthami (sanskrit: रथसप्तमी or Magha Saptami) is a Hindu festival that falls on the seventh day (saptami) in the bright half (Shukla paksha) of the Hindu month maagha. It marks the seventh day following the Sun’s northerly movement (uttarayana) of vernal equinox starting from Capricorn (Makara). It is symbolically represented in the form of the Sun god, surya turning his Ratha (Chariot) drawn by seven horses (representing seven colours of rainbow) towards the northern hemisphere, in a north-easterly direction. The chariot has 12 wheels, representing the 12 signs,(each of 30 degrees) of the zodiac(360degrees) and constituting a full year ( year - samvatsara) occurs somewhere near january-february.

Ratha Saptami is symbolic of the change of season to spring and the start of the harvesting season. For most Indian farmers, it is an auspicious beginning of the New Year. The festival is observed by all Hindus in their houses and in innumerable temples dedicated to Surya, across India.

Chhath (devanagri language: छठ, छठी, छठ पर्व, छठ पुजा, डाला छठ, डाला पुजा, सुर्य षष्ठी) is an ancient Hindu festival and a vedic festival dedicated to the Hindu sun God, surya and chhathi maiya (ancient Vedic Goddess Usha(meaning light)). The Chhath Puja is performed in order to thank Surya for sustaining life on earth. This falls on the sixth(shashti) day of the bright lunar phase (shukla paksha) of the karthika masam (month). this falls somewhere during  october-November

on these two particular days,  surya bhagvan(lord) is revered, and hymns and matras are read out in his praise. Two particularly important ones are Aditya hridayam  and Gayatri mantram. Worshiping sun is paying respect and giving recognition to its presence that creates, guides and controls the world with its endless light and energy. The sun is regarded as the prathyaksha-daiva (all visible-god/divinity).

why these sun festivals are carried out during the particular time of the year mentioned? These festivals fall close to some of the astronomical changes occurring around the earth.


The Sun's Daily Motion http://physics.weber.edu/schroeder/ua/SunAndSeasons.html

On any given day, the sun moves through our sky in the same way as a star. It rises somewhere along the eastern horizon and sets somewhere in the west. If you live at a mid-northern latitude (most of North America, Europe, Asia, and northern Africa), you always see the noon sun somewhere in the southern sky.But as the weeks and months pass, you'll notice that the sun's motion isn't quite the same as that of any star. For one thing, the sun takes a full 24 hours to make a complete circle around the celestial sphere, instead of just 23 hours, 56 minutes. For obvious reasons, we define our day based on the motion of the sun, not the stars.On any given day, the sun moves through our sky in the same way as a star. It rises somewhere along the eastern horizon and sets somewhere in the west. If you live at a mid-northern latitude (most of North America, Europe, Asia, and northern Africa), you always see the noon sun somewhere in the southern sky.Moreover, the location of the sun's path across the sky varies with the seasons.


The sun's path through the rest of the sky is similarly farther north in June and farther south in December. In summary:

In late March and late September (at the "equinoxes"), the sun's path follows the celestial equator. It then rises directly east and sets directly west. The exact dates of the equinoxes vary from year to year, but are always near March 20 and September 22.
After the March equinox, the sun's path gradually drifts northward. By the June solstice (usually June 21), the sun rises considerably north of due east and sets considerably north of due west. For mid-northern observers, the noon sun is still toward the south, but much higher in the sky than at the equinoxes.
After the June solstice, the sun's path gradually drifts southward. By the September equinox, its path is again along the celestial equator. The southward drift then continues until the December solstice (usually December 21), when the sun rises considerably south of due east and sets considerably south of due west. For mid-northern observers, the noon sun is quite low in the southern sky. After the December solstice, the sun's path drifts northward again, returning to the celestial equator by the March equinox.

The ratha sapthami coincides with the nothwardly movement (uttarayana)of the sun before the march equinox. The following are the dates of rathasapthami in different years.
2015- 26th january
2014- 6th february
2013- 24th january
2012- 19th february
2011- 10th february

The surya shashti coincides with the time of the southward movement (dakshinayana)of the sun that is after september equinox.
2015-17 november
2014- 29th october
2013- 8 November
2012- 19th november
2011- 1st November
2009- 24th october

Vasant panchami and its significance

Vasant panchami.... Vasant means spring and panchami means fifth day. This day is celebrated somewhere in the months of January to february

The beginning of spring is not always determined by fixed calendar dates. The phenological or ecological definition of spring relates to biological indicators; the blossoming of a range of plant species, and the activities of animals, or the special smell of soil that has reached the temperature for micro flora to flourish. It therefore varies according to the climate and according to the specific weather of a particular year. Most ecologists divide the year into six seasons that have no fixed dates. In addition to spring, ecological reckoning identifies an earlier separate prevernal (early or pre-spring) season between the hibernal (winter) and vernal (spring) seasons. This is a time when only the hardiest flowers like the crocus are in bloom, sometimes while there is still some snowcover on the ground. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_(season)

In terms of its cultural significance, vasant panchami has been compared to Chinese New Year and the Christian Candlemas, with the subsequent 40-day stretch between Vasant Panchami and Holi compared to the Christian Lenten season.

Vasant panchami is the festival marking the herald of spring in North India(however not entire north india). Due to the vast differences in the climate and weather conditions in different parts of India, the onset of seasons does not fall on the same day in different parts of India. the herald of spring is marked by sankranthi in the southern states of India. Again this festive day does not fall on the same solar calendar day. Some even consider it the harvest festival. it falls on the (shukla panchami) i.e the bright fifth day of  Magha  masam(month) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_calendar

shukla(white&bright) paksham(one lunar phase or fortnight) means the waxing moon phase or the 15 days before the full moon. Krishna(dark) paksham means the waning moon phase

The other festivals that mark the herald and arrival of spring are - Sankranthi and thai Pongal (mostly in the southern India), Holi (mostly in Noth and notheaster india), Rongali Bihu(assam valley) and the Nowrouz (Jammu,kashmir and parts of gujrat and Uttarpradesh). These festivals also mark the harvest seasons of the particular regions.

The other significant feature of Vasant panchami is the worship of godess saraswati. Godess saraswati is  a  representation of knowledge, wisdom and education. this day is a tribute of paying respect to the knowledge and wisdom, life gives to humanity in the form of nature and its creation. On this day many tasks related to education are initiated... such as initiation of a childs education, laying foundation of any educational institution or any such education and knowledge related events.  

Man has always been god-fearing. he is aware of a higher/divine power responsible for life. So, many wise men have been using this attitude of man to bring in discipline into society , for the welfare and growth of mankind. 

Hindu Harvest festivals- Bhogi, pongal, Lohri, Sankranthi

The mid-january time of the year, hindus celebrate the harvest festival.....  the harvest season in a particular region is because of the climatic conditions and the type of crop grown at the particular region at that time of the year. It mostly occurs in the southern part of India where the winter is subsiding. There, they call it Pongal. Lohri is another harvest festival that occurs in another indian state- Punjab. Maagha Bihu is the harvest festival happenning the same time in Assam. The festival is the celebration of the arrival of new grains, pulses or may be sugarcane, new fruits. Pongal, the term means abundance and prosperity. People celebrate to mark their efforts in bringing up the crop..that gives an encouragement. They celebrate for the the arrival of new food. They make feasts out of the new crop. The domestic animals like the cows , buffalo and the oxen would be given much importance because without them farming was not possible(keepin in mind the days of farming before the invention of newer techniques). it is basically a farmer's festival

why worship animals. As I mentioned in my earlier posts worship is a means of paying respect. Man with the capacity to think feels he is nature's most superior creation. unless he is told that paying respect gives him profit he would not care. So came the tradition where man was told that by worshiping the cows one would get prosperity... this was a simple technique to make man more humble and sensible towards the other creatures. 

Bhogi, Pongal and Lohri are meant to be celebrated on the shortest day of the year. A key feature of Lohri is the bonfire. Lighting of the fire has been common in winter solistice festivals throughout time and the world.  it signifies the return of longer days.The bonfire is an ancient tradition, forming a key part of Lohri traditions and is done in the early hours of the day. Here old things are discarded and new things are welcome. This harvest festival marks the beginning of a new financial year for the farmers.

Sankranthi/ Makar sankranti... the day coincides with the above mentioned Harvest festivals. It marks the change in the direction of the sun more northwards. it also hearalds the beginning of spring in the particular region of Indian subcontinent. 

This festival is celebrated in Maharashtra, Gujrat, Karnataka, Andhrapradesh, Bihar, Madya pradesh, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh. Celebrated in January, this harvest festival goes by different names in different states.

Sun is the light and energy that propels life and one can imagine life without the sun. Hindus worship/ pay respect to the sun by chanting mantras. The mantras carry sound vibrations that create a soothing synchronous energy/ aura around the magnetic field of the particular person... bringing in more harmony.

Festivals all over the world bring in harmony and discipline to mankind..making him more humble, sensible and to make him realise and understand that he is a part of the nature and he needs to respect this nature.

Hindu Festivals

Hi, everyone,

I felt like writing a post on the Hindu festivals of India..... on Why, When and What they actually are. Please check out my up coming posts. I shall start off with the list of important festivals. All of these writings will only put forth my view and understanding of the different hindu festivals.

Back in my hometown.... people would call even the birthday as a festival.... 'Puttina-roju-Panduga'.... meaning the 'Birth-day-festival' So what exactly did they mean....  Most hindu festivals mention the worship of some god during a festival, so does it mean that birthday would be a worship of the particular person.. so exactly what does worship mean. Worship is a way of paying respect for what something or someone is......we hindus worship books for giving us knowledge and education, trees for giving us oxygen and shelter and maintenance of nature, cows for giving us milk, sun for its heat and light without which the whole world would not exist, the clouds giving us rain....and of course a human being......apart from worshiping god. Now, we do not worship the idols, but we worship the divinity called god that we represent in the form of an object that we use to focus upon... the IODOL....well, please refer to my post on Idolatry to see the real significance and reson for the use of idols.

Respect is a means of recognition of the value of anything because as human beings we are only a fraction/part of the world.

Be it a birthday or any festival for the hindus, we do not follow the solar calendar. However, with the blending of culture people now use the solar calendar for the celebration of birthdays. I  will not go into the details of how and why the solar calendar and months were established.

 Hindu festivals follow the luni-solar calendar or the luni-sidereal calendar. All the timing is calculated astronomically taking both the moon(mainly) and the sun positions related to the rotation and revolution of the earth ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_calendar )
According to the hindu calendar, There are 7 days in a week, 12 months in a year each having a length of 29.530589 days  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_calendar)