Dear Forum Friends!
We are familiar with celebrations on the eve of the Western New Year, that is 1st January.But we have a host of new year festivities that are unique to the particular regions.Characteristic of the Indian cultural melange, Hindus in various states of India celebrate the new year in their own ways. And not all of these fall on the same day!
The Hindus of Kashmir start their new year - Navreh - in mid March. At the same time, the southern Indian states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh begin their new year - Ugadi. The Marathas celebrate their new year Gudi Padwa, and the Sindhis observe Cheti Chand, the coming of new year, during the same time.In Assam it is Rongali Bihu,Puthandu in Tamil Nadu,Vishu in Kerala,Sajibu Nongma Panba|Cheiraoba in Manipur,Chaitti and Basoa in Himachal Pradesh,Pohela Boishakh in Bengal.I'm extremely sorry for missing other Indian States but every region celebrates their New Year with great Devotion and Fervor. Usually, the Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Kashmiri and Sindhi New Year falls on the same day - the first day of the month of Chaitra, heralding the advent of spring.And today it is Chaitra Shukla Pratipada!!
So Wishing All Forum Members a Very Happy Hindu New Year!
Regional Delicacies!
Lets see the importance of new year as per hindu tradition .
Introduction The holy festival which marks the beginning of the New Year, new month and new day for Hindus, falls on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada (the first day of the bright fortnight of the Hindu lunar month of Chaitra). It is known as Gudhi Padwa (Maharashtra) or Yugaadi (Ugadi) (Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh) in India. On this very day Lord Brahma created the Universe. Therefore for Hindus, this day carries special importance. The day is celebrated with an auspicious bath, followed by decorating the main door with a garland (toran), performing ritualistic worship and hoisting the flag (DharmaDhwaj or Gudhi).
Importance:
The Hindu New Year begins on the first day of the month of Chaitra from the Hindu lunar calendar. The natural, historical and spiritual reasons to mark the commencement of the year on the first day of the month Chaitra of are discussed in the following sections. Natural: The spring season commences, the trees bear new foliage and appear fresh. In the Shrimadbhagvadgita the Lord says, "Among the seasons the exhilarating Vasant season (spring) is My manifestation," thus signifying the importance of this season. In this season the weather is pleasant and exhilarating. Historical: Lord Rama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, returned to Ayodhya after slaying the demons and Ravan, an evil king of the demons who had kidnapped Lord Rama's queen, Sita, on this very day. He slayed Vali, a powerful and evil king of Kishkindha on this very day.
Spiritual:
1. Since on this day Lord Brahma created the universe and the Satyayug began, it marks the commencement of the New Year.
2. It is one among the three-and-a-half auspicious days (sade teen muhurtas). The special feature of the three and a half days are that unlike other days when one has to choose an auspicious moment to perform a ritual, on these one does not need to as every moment of these days are auspicious.
3. The higher incidence of prajapati sanyukta (conjoint) frequencies on the earth: The Hindu Holy text Ganeshyamal tantra states that totally 108 subtle frequencies reach the earth. These stem from the four parts (charans) of each of the twenty-seven lunar asterisms from the Nakshtralok.
They disintegrate further into four type of frequencies - yama, surya, prajapati and sanyukta (conjoint), and strike the earth in varying proportions throughout the year. On the first day of the month of Chaitra, the prajapati sanyukta and surya sanyukta frequencies, which have the potential to increase the spiritual/subtle purity (sattva) component, descend in larger quantities. Also on this day, the maximum number of the purity-predominant prajapati sanyukta frequencies descends upon the earth.
Courtesy : http://hinduism.about.com/ & http://www.tanujathakur.com/
Edited by Cool-n-Fresh - 10 years ago