Gudi Padva |
A Maharashtrain Spring Festival |
| Gudi Padva, celebrated on the first day of the Hindu month- Chaitra
(celebrated in March/April), marks the beginning of spring or Vasant. This day is said to be the one on which Lord Brahma created the world after deluge. Other legend says that this festival is celebrated to to commemorate the victory of Rama over Bali, a South Indian King. Lord Vishnu is also said to have incarnated himself as Matsya (the Fish Incarnation) on the Gudi Padwa. The day is especially dedicated to the worship of Lord Brahma. Traditionally marked by the ripening of fruit and flowers, to those from Maharashtra's Konkan coast, Gudi Padva brings the smell of the surangi flower and the overwhelming fragrance of the mango and jackfruit in bloom. Shishir, the season when the trees shed their leaves, is over and the harvested wheat, bajra and sunflower are packed and ready for the weekly markets in town. |
Practice : It is a day of great festivity and rejoicing. People get up early and
clean their houses, decorating them with intricate rangoli designs.  Poles with silk flags are decorated with colorful gudis, and support brass or silver pots. These are prominently displayed in the homes of most traditional families. The gudis are expected to usher in prosperity and good fortune and is supposed to drive away evil from the house. Many homes also decorate the pots with coconuts, flowers and mango leaves, symbolizing nature's bounty to all. The day starts with the eating of the bittersweet leaves of the Neem tree. Traditional Maharashtrians also make a paste of neem leaves and mix it with ajwain, tamarind and jaggery. The entire family then eats the paste. The neem paste is believed to purify the blood and build up immunity in the body against diseases. Children clean and plaster farmyards with fresh cowdung. Rangoli becomes more elaborate, reflecting the brightness of spring. |
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