DV Subba Reddy

(Editor-In-Chief)

Ugadi Festival celebrates every year on the first day of the month of Chaitra as per lunar calendar or Telugu Calendar. According to the Lunar calendars have a cycle of sixty years and a New Year starts on the day of Ugadi on Chaitra Sudhdha Paadyami. After the completion of every sixty year the calendar starts with a fresh New Year.

As per Lunar Calendar the Telugu years starts with the year Prabhava and ends at the sixtieth year “Akshaya”. These years cycle rotating after completion of the sixty years, now this year called “Shuba Kritu Nama Ugadi”, it is the 36^th year in the sixty year cycle.

The word Ugadi also known as Yugadi has been derived by combination of two words Yuga meaning age and adi meaning beginning of a new age. Yugadi refers to the age today we are living in which is the kali Yuga which is believed to have been started after Lord Krishna left the world. The event has been described by Maharshi Vedavyasa as “Yesmin Krishno divamvyataha.

Yugadi is celebrated after calibrations from the 12th century, Bhaskara II. It begins after the first new moon and on the sunrise after the sun crosses the celestial equator from south to North. On this day the Su enters the initial point of Aries. Many people also celebrate the festival on the next morning as the day is believed to start in India after the sun rise.

South Indians celebrates Ugadi on the Chaitra Shuddha Padyami especially in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana and Maharashtra, who lived in between the Kaveri River and Vindhya-Saatpura mountains.

During the festival the season of spring is believed to have arrived at its fullest and every where the colours of festivals can be seen. New leaves budding on the trees look amazingly beautiful and utmost zeal and excitement can been seen in the hearts of people celebrating Ugadi. Though, Lord Shiva had cursed Lord Brahma that he will not be worshipped ever but in Andhra Pradesh this festival of Ugadi is specifically celebrated in honour of Lord Brahma.

As per the ancient tales, it is believed that Lord Vishnu had taken the form of Matsya. On the day of Ugadi people clean their house and the nearby area and decorate the entrance of their house with mango leaves. And also people buy new clothes for them and for their family members.