"Gudi Padwa" celebrated with religious fervour

Mumbai, Mar 19 (UNI) Gudi Padwa, the Hindu New year's day marking the beginning of spring or 'Vasant' was celebrated with religious fervour and gaiety here today.

The day was also celebrated as 'Ugadi' in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

'Gudi' means a banner raised to announce victory and joy and 'Padwa' is another name for 'Pratipada' which is the first day of a lunar month.

This day also is the first day of the Hindu month of Chaitra.

According to mythology, this day is said to be the one on which Lord Brahma created the world after deluge. It is a day of great festivity as it commemorates the triumphant expeditions of the Maratha armies of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It is a day when the brave Marathas returned home after winning the war.

People get up early and clean their houses, decorate them with intricate Rangoli designs. The worship to the 'Gudi' is supposed to drive away evil from the house and usher in prosperity and good fortune.

A brightly coloured silk cloth is first tied to a wooden pole with a brass or silver goblet and kalash is placed upturned atop it.

Then garlands of sweet sugary battasa, neem leaves and orange - yellow marigold flowers are tied to the pole. This is called the 'Gudi'.

The auspicious day also marks the beginning of the consumption of summer foods like melons, jack-fruit, mangoes, sprouted gram and more. A variety of sherbets such as Mango Panha and special sweets like Puran Poli are served. Traditional Maharashtrians have the custom of eating a paste prepared from bitter neem leaves. They are eaten on Gudi Padwa to ensure good health. The neem paste is believed to purify the blood and build up immunity in the body against diseases.

Gudi Padwa is also considered as one of the most auspicious days of the year to start new ventures. Today, being a state government holiday, many people in Mumbai celebrated the occasion with friends and family. Even though India lost to Bangladesh in their World Cup opener on Saturday, Mumbaikars today prayed the team posts a huge total against Bermuda today in its second match.

UNI