Ugadi 2017

Telugu Samvatsara 2074 Begins......Ugadi 2017

                      

Ugadi Pachadi  

                                         

Ugadi pachchadi is a dish synonymous with Ugadi. It is made of new jaggery, raw mango pieces, neem flowers, and new tamarind which truly reflect life — a combination of six different tastes (Shut-Ruchi)(sweet, sour, spicy or pungent, salty, astringent and bitter) symbolizing happiness, disgust, anger, fear, surprise, and sadness. Bevu-Bella (ಬೇವು-ಬೆಲ್ಲ) in Kannada, symbolizes the fact that life is a mixture of different experiences - sadness, happiness, anger, fear, disgust, surprise - which should be accepted altogether with equanimity through the New Year. The eating of a sauce composed of six tastes - sourness by a raw mango and from tamarind, sweetness with molasses or jaggery, salt, bitterness from neem flowers, astringent from neem flowers as well as from a small amount taken of tender mango seed or skin, spicy/hot/pungent from black pepper or chilli powder - mixed in water, called Ugadi Pachhadi (ఉగాది పచ్చడి) in Telugu symbolizes this. The ingredients of this 'Pachchadi' may vary slightly in different regions but the symbolic meaning is the same in each case.

The special mixture consists of all the flavours which the tongue can perceive, and one could say that each flavour symbolizes a feeling or emotion which is natural in life :

• Neem Buds/Flowers for its bitterness, signifying sadness
• Jaggery for sweetness, signifying happiness
• Green Chilli/Pepper for its hot taste, signifying anger
• Salt for saltiness, signifying fear
• Tamarind Juice for its sourness, signifying disgust
• Neem Flowers and small amount of tender mango seed for making it astringent adding an element of surprise

Special dishes

In Karnataka a special dish called Obbattu, or Holige (ಹೋಳಿಗೆ / ಒಬ್ಬಟ್ಟು), is prepared. It consists of a filling (gram and jaggery/sugar boiled and made in to a paste) stuffed in a flat roti-like bread. It is usually eaten hot or cold with ghee or milk topping or coconut milk at some places of Karnataka. In Andhra Pradesh, a special dish called Bobbattu (Polelu) (Puran Poli) (Oliga) are prepared on this occasion. This special dish is called Bhakshalu in Telangana. These are eaten along with the Ugadi Pachchadi mentioned earlier.

Recitation of the Pachangam Almanac

Later, people traditionally gather to listen to the recitation of the religious Panchangam (almanac) of the new year, and the general forecast of the year to come. This is called the Panchanga Sravanam, an informal social function where an elderly and respected person will read the almanac. Panchamgam also contains astrology based on moon signs.

In Kannada, the greeting is "Yugadi Habbada Shubhaashayagalu" - ಯುಗಾದಿ ಹಬ್ಬದ ಶುಭಾಶಯಗಳು (Greetings for the festival of Yugadi) or "Hosa varshada shubhashayagalu" - ಹೊಸ ವರ್ಷದ ಶುಭಾಶಯಗಳು (Greetings on the new year).

In Telugu, the greeting is "kroththa yeta" / "ugadi panduga" palukarimpulu, or "ugadi subhaakankshalu" - "క్రొత్త ఏట" / "ఉగాది పండుగ" పలుకరింపులు, లేదా ఉగాది శుభాకాంక్షలు (Greetings for the festival of ugadi) and "Nutana samvastara shubhaakankshalu" -నూతన సంవత్సర శుభాకాంక్షలు (Greetings on the new year).

In Konkani, it would be Navve varsaache shubhaashay,ನವ್ವೆ ವರ್ಷಾಂಚೆ ಶುಭಾಶಯ್ Samsar padvyache shubhaashay.ಸಂಸಾರ್ ಪದ್ವ್ಯಾನ್ಚೆ ಶುಭಾಶಯ್

In Marathi, it would be 'गुढी पाडव्याच्या हार्दिक शुभेच्छा' (Gudhi padvyachya hardik shubhechcha).

Predictions for the year

Ugadi marks the beginning of a new Hindu lunar calendar with a change in the moon's orbit. It is a day when mantras are chanted and predictions made for the new year. Traditionally, the panchangasravanam or listening to the yearly calendar was done at the temples or at the Town square but with the onset of modern technology, one can get to hear the priest-scholar on television sets right in one's living room.