Today the people of Andhra and Karnataka are celebrating the new year known as "Ugadi" and Maharastra as "Gudi Padava"
Indian Almanac or "Panchang" is based on either Jupiter, Sun or Moon. Those who follow the calendar based on Moon celebrate New Year or Ugadi today.
Ugadi is the new Year day- first day of the first month and first season (spring season). Its the celebration of not only the New year but also Spring season when mother Earth is her beautiful best. Blooming gardens, new tender shoots, all the creatures rejoicing during the spring time- is celebrated.
Meaning of Sri Khara:
We Andhras have a 60 year cycle. Each year has a name. This Year it is known as "Sri Khara" 25th year in the cycle. Sri means wealth, auspiciousness, light etc or a name denoting the Goddess of wealth Lakshmi. Sri is also used as a title of respect when addressing men or God. Khara means- a donkey, sharp edged, cutting edged, hurting, injurious, pungent, Agni or fire, hot, a demon named Khara and Sun etc. "Kha" in Sanskrit means sky, space or ether and "Ra" means light-so Khara means one who fills the sky with his light- Sun. Here Khara means Sun.
The details of what Ugadi means, what our almanac says about this years predictions in general and for all the zodiac signs I will post on my other blog. But if you want to know about the celebrations, you can read about it here. This is the Ugadi Pachhadi-a chutney with all six tastes of sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent. Like our taste buds need all these tastes, so also our life needs all the moments, of happiness, sadness, compassion, romance, amazement etc without which we cannot enjoy it. Too much of happiness or sadness is boring. By eating this chutney of all six tastes on the first day of the year, we want our lives to be full of all the kaleidoscopic emotions and moments so that we can enjoy, adjust, grow, learn and live our lifes to the maximum.
New tamarind, sugar cane, salt, Neem flowers,fresh coconut, raw mangoes, chillies, pepper etc are used in making this. This is a health tonic and has got medicinal value.
I am going to post the recipe in my other blog on cookery. Wishing all of you success, happiness and all the best. I just hope that I will be able to follow a healthy and disciplined routine, eat healthy diet, exercise regularly, spend more time with my family, leave all my vices, blog regularly and share with you all that I wanted to do, complete at least some of my pending projects....hmmmm...it is endless..well at least I can try to achieve some things if not all......
