~Smiles~ Unlimited!!

The New year festival or Ugadi comes close on the heels of Holi. While the strong colors of Holi start fading away, the freshness of spring lingers on with sprightliness all around. Ugadi is celebrated with festive fervor in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka. While it is called Ugadi in A.P. and Karnataka, in Maharashtra it is known as Gudi Padawa.

Ugadi marks the beginning of a new Hindu lunar calendar with a change in the moon's orbit. A day when mantras are chanted and predictions are made for the New Year. Prayers for health, wealth, prosperity and success are part of the festival. Ugadi is considered the most auspicious time to start new ventures and make new beginnings.

The celebration of Ugadi is marked by religious zeal and social merriment. Special dishes are prepared for the occasion. "Ugadi pachchadi" is one such dish that is made of new jaggery, raw mango pieces and neem flowers and new tamarind, which truly reflect life - a combination of sweet, sour and bitter tastes! The inner significance of this preparation is to indicate that life is a mixture of good and bad, joy and sorrow and all experiences have to be treated alike…Welcome everything and accept it with grace.

Here’s wishing a very prosperous new year to everyone. May this year usher in peace and serenity to the world, less/no natural calamities, and bring joy, happiness & fortune to all.