Gudi Padwa 2023: Maharashtra Ushers The New Year With Enthusiasm And Fervour. Watch
Gudi Padwa heralds the start of spring and the reaping of the Rabi crops. Colourful rangoli, a special Gudi Dvaja, street processions, dancing and delicious festive dishes mark this festival.
New Delhi: Gudi Padwa is a spring festival that marks the beginning of the traditional new year for Marathi and Konkani Hindus and is celebrated mainly in and around Maharashtra, Goa, and Madhya Pradesh at the beginning of Chaitra. Colourful rangoli, a special Gudi Dvaja, street processions, dancing and delicious festive dishes mark this festival.
Gudi Padwa 2023: Significance
Gudi Padwa heralds the start of spring and the reaping of the Rabi crops. The festival commemorates the mythical day when the Hindu god Brahma created the world and time. Some believe it honours Rama's coronation in Ayodhya following his triumph over the evil Ravana, or alternatively, the beginning of the Shalivahan calendar following his victory over the Huns invasion in the first century. According to Anne Feldhaus, the celebration in rural Maharashtra is associated with Shiva's dance and the community coming together as they transport the Gudi Kavads to a Shiva temple.
Gudi Padwa 2023: Celebrations
The festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm and zeal in Maharashtra. The day begins with people decorating their homes with Rangolis, flowers and torans. Traditional specialities like puran poli, shrikhand, aamras etc. are prepared.
Maharashtra | Gudi Padwa is being celebrated in the state. Visuals of vibrant celebrations from Pune. pic.twitter.com/3RnENQipGB
— ANI (@ANI) March 22, 2023
People also wear new clothes and hold processions. They also visit temples and seek the blessings of the almighty.
The hoisting of the Gudi, which is made by tying a piece of silk or cotton cloth to a bamboo stick and adorning it with neem leaves, mango leaves, and a garland of flowers, is the primary attraction of Gudi Padwa. It is then either positioned on a tall pole outside the home or on the right side of the main entrance of the house.
#WATCH | Maharashtra: Gudi Padwa is being celebrated in the state. Visuals of vibrant celebrations from Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/wLHdRDUvyP
— ANI (@ANI) March 22, 2023
People also dance in the processions which is a spectacular sight. Here is a glimpse of the citizens of Nagpur engaged in a performance wearing saffron turbans and white kurtas to welcome the new year. People also dance, while holding the Gudi in their hands.
#WATCH | Maharashtra: Gudi Padwa is being celebrated. Visuals of vibrant celebrations from Nagpur pic.twitter.com/Zn2UnHapKF
— ANI (@ANI) March 22, 2023
Additionally, the Aksharabhyasam ritual, in which young infants are taught the first letter of the alphabet, is practised in some areas of Maharashtra. This is regarded as lucky for the child's potential academic success.
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