Holidays & Observances: Ugadi

For all the posts in this Holidays & Observances series, go here.

Prologue: I have been meaning to write a series about Holidays and Observances that we (my family and friends) follow in both India (my birth country) and USA (my adopted country). This series is dedicated to those. On a side note, perhaps I might witness some of the celebrations from other countries as well that may get their way into this series. 🙂

New Year according to Hindu Calendar, Ugadi, for most states in India fell on March 22nd this year (2023). Each state calls the festival with a different name. Each Yuga or a cycle is 60 years in Telugu Calendar. And this year it is 37th year also called Shobhakritu.

The festival is celebrated with great fanfare, family gatherings and scrumptious feast. However, the key dish made is called as Ugadi Pachchadi, a delicacy filled with tons of health benefits made of 6 flavors – Tamarind for sour representing unpleasantness, Jaggery for sweet meaning joy or happiness, Raw Mango for tangy representing surprise, Neem Flower for bitter representing sadness, Red Chili Powder for spicy representing anger, and finally Salt for salt representing fear. It signifies that life is a mixture of emotions and feelings and you face them as they come to make your life a better one.