Ugadi is here

Come Ugadi and the Neem नीम buds start flowering as if on dot! Synchronised with Nature's own calendar, year after year.

Ugadi is celebrated on the 1st day after the dark phase of moon-- 'Amavasya' अमावस्या of 'Phalgun' फाल्गुन month as per the lunar calendar. It heralds onset of spring in India. 
Ugadi is a combination of 'Yuga' युग meaning age and 'Adi' आदि meaning the beginning of a new age! It signifies beginning of the new year as per lunar calendar. Being spring time, it is also celebrated in other parts of India with different names.

Ugadi:  Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka
Gudi Padwa: Mahrashtra
Thapna: Rajasthan
Cheti Chand: Sindhis
Navreh: Kashmir
Sajibu: Manipur 

This is an example of rich diversity in India! So, here is our Ugadi and Gudi Padwa greetings to all our friends and readers. The neem buds and flowers were shot yesterday on our terrace.

Ugadi celebrations include buying new clothes, decorating the doorways with mango leaves, rangoli रंगोली , puja पूजा  and preparing Ugadi Pachhdi उगादी पचड़ी . The pachhdi is prepared using multiple ingredients which signify various experiences/phases/stages of one's life. Details courtesy Wikipedia, as follows:
  

• 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 

It is semi-liquid in form and has multiple tastes. And as our friend Kinnera Murthy said, "The taste you get first on your tongue is the one which dominates your experiences during the year." So much for Pachhdi, its ingredients and its flavour.

How can the custard apple शरीफ़ा tree lag behind when spring arrives? New leaves sprout all over. And like Neem, custard apple शरीफ़ा buds and flowers also emerge. But with the harsh summer which follows, the custard apple buds/flowers would soon die. And come up again after the monsoon! See the picture below:

  While getting down from the terrace after taking these pictures, I found  a cat sitting snugly under the spiral staircase. It gave me a not-so-welcome-look.




So, once again Season's Greetings to all. May the New Year bring peace and joy in your lives.

Thanks for browsing

   -Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ Ugadi, 21st March 2015