Yugadhi/Ugadi is a New Year day for the people of Andhrapradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa. The name Yugadi or Ugadi is derived from the Sanskrit words Yuga(Age) and Adi(Beginning). It falls on the first day of the Hindu Calendar month Chaitra. The day, begins with ritual showers (oil bath) followed by prayers.
On this special Occasion, People prepare a special dish called Ugadi Pachadi in Telugu and Bevu Bella in Kannada which is a mixture of 6 tastes. This dish symbolizes the fact that life is a mixture of different experiences (sadness, happiness, anger,fear, disgust, surprise), which should be accepted together and with equanimity through the New Year.
The special mixture consists of:
- Neem Buds/Flowers for its bitterness, signifying Sadness
- Jaggery and ripe banana pieces 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
- Unripened Mango for its tang, signifying Surprise
Other special dishes made on this auspicious day are:
Like Tamilians, the people of AndhraPradesh prepare Bobbatlu and Kannada’s prepare Obbatu which is called as Purana Poli in TamilNadu. 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.
Another dish which is prepared on occasion of Ugadi is Ugadi pachhadi (mentioned above). Other dishes include our normal festival thali.
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.
