Yugadi Aesthetics

Yugadi is a joyful celebration that is all about fresh beginnings and the triumph of good over evil. It is believed that events on this fortunate day will determine events that occur throughout the year.

Yugadi, also known as Ugadi, combines the Sanskrit terms “Yug,” which means “era,” and “Adi,” which means “beginning,” it is believed that this celebration greets the start of a new era. In addition, Yugadi was acknowledged by the 12th-century Indian mathematician Bhaskaracharya as the beginning of the New Year.

Yugadi also is a marker of spring, which arrives during the Spring Equinox, when the Sun advances towards the Northern Hemisphere.

Though most people associate Yugadi/ Ugadi with Karnataka, Andra Pradesh and Telangana, other parts of the world also celebrate this festival. Maharashtra celebrates Gudi Padwa, which is the first day of the New Year. North Indians begin this auspicious festival as Chaitra Navratri Puja which extends to nine days and consume neem with Mishri on the first day.

Tradition

On Yugadi, people take an oil bath and wear new clothes, greet others, and draw rangoli (colorful patterns of flowers, rangoli powder made on the floor). The doorway is adorned with traditional torans or door hangings made of mango leaves/mango bunch, neem leaf bunch, and marigold flowers. These door hangings symbolize prosperity and ward off negative energy, welcoming guests with open arms.

Most importantly, in Karnataka, Yugadi dishes consist of 1) a ground mix of roasted Bengal gram/putana and jaggery topped with neem flowers 2) fruits, 3)coconut, and 4) mixtures of neem leaves, raw mango, and jaggery. These are offered to god during morning pooja and consumed as prasad.

The blend of neem leaves, raw mango, and jaggery creates an explosion of tastes that mirror the complex experiences of life’s beauty, with notes of sour, sweet, and bitter. Each taste’s ingredients are the emotions that people experience in life. This mixture is shared among family members, signifying the acceptance of both joys and sorrows in the coming year.

Obattu/holige/puranpoli is prepared on Yugadi as the main traditional dish is served to god first and then partaken as prasad.

On this peculiar occasion, priests and astrologers read the Panchang Shravanam, where the prognosis for the upcoming year is recited based on moon indications.

Greetings are exchanged between friends and family. Visits to relatives and requests for blessings from the elderly are customary. To commemorate this occasion, processions, and cultural events are also arranged in a few southern states.

Significance Of Yugadi

As per Hindu beliefs, Yugadi is considered auspicious since it is when Lord Brahma, the creator, started creating the earth.

Lord Vishnu is known as Yugaadikrit, the one who created Yugas. So, Yugadi is the most auspicious day to worship the Para Brahma, who created the Time element.

Many people celebrate Yugadi because it marks the official coronation of lord Rama as king, a moment signifying the triumph of good over evil and the beginning of fortunate times for the joyous people of Ayodhya.

It is believed that Lord Sri Krishna started his Niryaana in the early hours of the bright fortnight of Chaitra, roughly 18.02.3102 BC, as per astrological calculations. In addition, this day marks the beginning of the Kaliyug.

Although celebrating the inauspicious departure of Krishna from the world on Yugadi, usually associated with happiness and optimism, may seem paradoxical. Even Kali Yuga has a great deal of positive attributes that are, in reality, exclusive to the four ages. As previously noted, this is the era when people are least interested in self-realization, but it is also the age when genuine gurus, sympathetic to souls struggling for spirituality, show the most compassion to those who truly aspire to progress spiritually.

A new astronomical cycle commences on the day when Yugadi begins, as per the Lunisolar calendar. Because of the Earth’s axial tilt during this cycle, the northern hemisphere receives the most light from the Sun. The day of the Yugadi celebration marks the start of these 21 days. The longer, brighter days encourage optimism for prosperous growth in one’s career, relationships, and spiritual pursuits.

According to Ugadi astrological predictions, this festival comes under Sadhe Teen Muhurat. Astrology states that this is the time when nature begins a new cycle and the Earth is reenergized. This time in history is symbolic of resuming life with fresh vigor and zest.

As we embrace the dawn of another Yugadi, Let’s honor the traditions and values that Ugadi symbolizes as we welcome the New Year and hope for a year full of happiness, success, and fresh starts. Let’s cherish the memories of the past year, learn from its challenges, and greet the new year with optimism, grace, and gratitude.

Looking for some traditional outfit inspiration for festivities? Then scroll to check on my pics below.

I am wearing:

Net Saree: BSC Shopping Centre, Davangere Buy similar

Kitten Heels: Aurelia, BSC shopping mall Buy similar

Blouse: Tailor Stitched

Waist Chain: VAMA, Amazon. in