Gudi Padwa is the Hindu festival particularly celebrated in Maharashtra. Read on to find about celebration of Gudi Padwa festival.

Gudi Padwa is celebrated as New Years day in Maharashtra. Gudi Padwa is a day when people rejoice and welcome the spring season. Lord Brahma, the God of Creation is worshipped this day and people find this day very auspicious to start new ventures. People clean their houses, decorate it with flowers and buy new clothes to wear that day.

Tradition and Rituals

In addition to cleaning and decorating houses which is a part of every festival, people hang 'gudis' on their windows as this day they celebrate and thank Mother Nature's for gifts. Gudi is a pole that is decorated with silk cloth, mango leaves and marigold flowers and a vessel of brass or silver is placed on it.

Mango leaves and marigold flowers represent festivity in Hindus and they are used in every auspicious occasion. A sign of swastika is made on the gudi and is raised high to depict victory and happiness. The gudi is put up at sunrise and is removed at sunset. Women make rangolis on their door steps to attract and welcome Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of richness and wealth.

Celebration

People go to the temple where priests make predictions for the coming year. This is the day related to the warriors of Maharashtra who returned home victorious. The people of Maharashtra also honour their leader Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

The prasad that is distributed in gudi padwa is bitter leaves of neem along with cumin seeds, jaggery and salt. Food cooked that day is extremely special and they include, poori, pooran poli, sweets, shreekhand and many more. Greetings are exchanged among people and it has become a tradition to have gatherings of local poets which is called kavi sammelan.

Various cultural programs are also organized in different parts of Goa and Maharashtra. Different types of folk dances and performances are observed this day with an intention to keep the tradition going on.

People try to shift into their new houses on this day and several people postpone and reschedule their housewarming poojas and party on this auspicious day. People also prefer buying gold, silver or any property on that day with an aim of increasing their fortune.

Significance of Gudi Padwa

Natural significance is that the spring season steps in and it automatically makes people rejoice. Historical and traditional significance is that Lord Rama killed Vali that day. It is believed that Lord Brahma created the world that day and announced the beginning of Satyug and so New Years Day is celebrated that day.

Festivals in India are celebrated with real gala and all of them become a social event most often. People greet each other and offer sweets to each other. There are plenty of festivals and all of them are celebrated in different ways in different parts of India. No matter what part of India you live, you will have the traditional food prepared to taste and you will find people wearing traditional dresses that day.

Worshipping and going to the temples is a part of every festival. Different Gods and Goddesses are worshipped and given importance as they are related to some part of life and world or another. Gudi Padwa is said to be auspicious every moment that day and people can have any kind of program that day and that will be fortunate for them.