Festival companion · Wednesday 7 April 2027

Ugadi

New Year in the Deccan: Ugadi and Gudi Padwa. Everything for one festival in one place: the story to tell, the puja, a recipe, a craft for children and a shopping list.

Tell the story

The Story of Ugadi

Ugadi comes from "yuga adi", the beginning of an age. It is said that Brahma began creating the world on this day.

It is the first day of the lunar year in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and in Maharashtra it is called Gudi Padwa.

In the evening the family listens to the panchanga shravana, a reading of what the new year may bring, and everyone eats bevu bella to accept life's bitter and sweet moments equally.

How families celebrate

Ugadi begins the new lunar year in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and the same day is Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra, where a gudi flag is raised at the window. Doorways are hung with fresh mango leaves, the house is cleaned, and everyone eats a little neem and jaggery (bevu bella in Kannada, ugadi pachadi in Telugu) to accept the bitter and the sweet the year will bring. In the evening the family listens to the reading of the new year's almanac, the panchanga shravana.

Oil bath at dawn, mango-leaf toran, a gudi at the window in Maharashtra, new clothes, bevu bella or ugadi pachadi, obbattu, bobbatlu or puran poli, and panchanga shravana.

At home

The Puja

A home puja anyone can follow, step by step, with the words to say.

Short puja 20 minutes · freeFull puja 60 minutes · members

Before you begin

  1. Prepare

    Bathe, wear clean clothes and clean the puja place. Set out a lamp, incense, flowers, kumkum, turmeric, rice, water in a small vessel with a spoon, a bell and the naivedya (food offering).

  2. Light the lamp

    Light the lamp with ghee or oil and fold your hands.

    SayShubham karoti kalyanam arogyam dhana sampadah, shatru buddhi vinashaya deepa jyotir namostute

  3. Pray to Ganesha first

    Every puja begins with Ganesha, so the rest goes without obstacles. Offer a flower or a little rice.

    SayVakratunda mahakaya suryakoti samaprabha, nirvighnam kuru me deva sarva karyeshu sarvada

  4. Achamana and sankalpa

    Sip a spoon of water three times. Then hold a little water, rice and a flower and say, in your own language, who you are, where you are, and why you are doing this puja today. Let it fall in a plate.

    SayOm Keshavaya namah · Om Narayanaya namah · Om Madhavaya namah

Short puja

  1. Abhyanga snana

    Before sunrise, an oil bath for everyone, then new clothes.

  2. Decorate the doorway

    Hang a toran of fresh mango leaves and draw a rangoli. In Maharashtra, raise the Gudi: a silk cloth, neem, sugar garland and an upturned pot on a bamboo pole at the window.

  3. Puja

    Worship the family deity and the new panchanga (almanac) with flowers and kumkum.

  4. Bevu bella and pachadi

    Offer and then eat neem and jaggery, or ugadi pachadi with its six tastes, accepting the bitter and the sweet.

    SayShatayur vajradehaya sarva sampatkaraya cha, sarvarishta vinashaya nimbakam dala bhakshanam

  5. Panchanga shravana

    In the evening, listen to the reading of the new year's almanac from an elder or priest, online if needed.

Closing

  1. Naivedya

    Place the food before the deity, sprinkle a little water around it and offer it with your hands open.

    SayOm pranaya svaha · Om apanaya svaha · Om vyanaya svaha · Om udanaya svaha · Om samanaya svaha

  2. Aarti

    Wave the camphor or ghee lamp clockwise in front of the deity, ringing the bell, while the family sings an aarti or bhajan.

  3. Pradakshina and namaskara

    Turn around once clockwise where you stand, then bow or prostrate. Ask forgiveness for anything done wrongly.

    SayYani kani cha papani janmantara kritani cha, tani tani vinashyanti pradakshina pade pade

  4. Share the prasada

    Share the naivedya with everyone at home and with neighbours.

Full puja

The full puja follows the sixteen offerings, the shodashopachara, with every mantra in Devanagari, Kannada or Telugu script. It takes about 60 minutes.

  1. DhyanaThink of the deity
  2. AvahanaInvite the deity
  3. AsanaOffer a seat (a flower or rice)
  4. PadyaWater to wash the feet
  5. ArghyaWater to wash the hands
  6. AchamaniyaWater to sip
  7. SnanaA bath (sprinkle water, or abhisheka)
  8. VastraClothes (a cloth or cotton thread)
  9. Yajnopavita / AbharanaSacred thread or ornaments
  10. GandhaSandal paste, turmeric and kumkum
  11. PushpaFlowers and leaves
  12. DhupaIncense
  13. DeepaA lamp
  14. NaivedyaFood
  15. TambulaBetel leaf and nut, or fruit
  16. Nirajana and namaskaraAarti, flowers and bowing

Full puja for members: Devanagari · Kannada script · Telugu script

Members: open the full pujaShort of time? The short puja is complete on its own: flowers, a lamp and food offered with love are enough.

Print

Short puja guide to print

Full puja for members: Devanagari · Kannada script · Telugu script

Every family and region has its own customs, so follow your elders or priest where they differ.

Across India

How Each Region Celebrates

The same festival has many faces. Find your region, and what to do at home.

South India (Karnataka, Andhra, Telangana)

Ugadi

The new-moon New Year

  1. Oil bath, mango leaves at the door and a rangoli.
  2. Eat bevu bella or Ugadi pachadi: neem, jaggery, tamarind, salt, chilli and raw mango, for every taste life brings.
  3. Listen to the panchanga shravana, the reading of the new year.
West India (Maharashtra)

Gudi Padwa

The same day

  1. Raise a gudi: a pole with a silk cloth, neem, mango leaves, a sugar garland and an upturned pot.
  2. Eat a paste of neem leaves and jaggery, and shrikhand puri for lunch.
South India (Tamil Nadu)

Puthandu

The solar New Year in April

  1. Arrange fruits, flowers, jewellery and a mirror on a tray to see first.
  2. Cook mango pachadi with sweet, sour and bitter tastes.
South India (Kerala)

Vishu

The solar New Year in April

  1. Set the Vishukkani the night before: golden konna flowers, rice, a mirror, fruits and a lamp.
  2. At dawn, walk to it with closed eyes and see it first. Elders give children vishukkaineetam (coins).

Cook together

Ugadi Pachadi and Bevu Bella

More recipes →
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra · Ugadi

Ugadi Pachadi and Bevu Bella

Neem and jaggery: ugadi pachadi in Telugu, bevu bella in Kannada, kadunimb in Marathi

  • 10 min
  • Serves Whole family
Ingredients and method

Ingredients

  • A few tender neem flowers
  • 2 tbsp grated jaggery
  • 1 tsp tamarind pulp
  • A little raw mango, finely chopped
  • A pinch of salt and pepper

Method

  1. Mix everything together.
  2. Offer it at the altar first.
  3. Everyone eats a small spoon before breakfast.

Six tastes in one spoon, for all the experiences the new year will bring. Neem flowers can be bought dried online.

For children

Make a mango-leaf toran

You need

  • Fresh mango leaves (or green paper leaves)
  • A long string
  • Marigold flowers
  • A darning needle (adult help)

Steps

  1. Fold the top of each leaf over the string and staple or stitch it.
  2. Add a marigold between every few leaves.
  3. Tie it across the main door.
  4. Change it next Ugadi, or when it dries.

Get ready

Shopping List

Tick things off as you go, or print the list for the Indian store.

Shopping list

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