Preparing Your Home For Ugadi

Ugadi, which heralds the beginning of the New Year, is celebrated with much pomp, fun and religious fervour among family and friends. Essentially referred as the beginning of a new age, Ugadi is considered to bring with it new hopes and happiness in one’s life. Derived from the amalgamation of two Sanskrit words Yuga (era) and Adi (beginning), Ugadi is considered as an auspicious day for new beginnings and new ventures. It is widely believed that Lord Brahma, the creator and energiser of the entire universe, began creation on the auspicious day of Ugadi. Henceforth, people ensure that this festival is celebrated with much élan.

Best Snack Recipes For Ugadi

This festival is celebrated on the first day of the Shukla Paksha of the Indian month of Chaitra. This festival is a powerhouse of traditions and customs. The celebrations for Ugadi is marked by traditional rituals like cleaning the house, early morning oil bath, family gathering, and a sumptuous feast. Interestingly preparations for Ugadi kick off a one week before the festival itself. Ugadi, which ushers the beginning of spring, witnesses the arrival of green foliage and fresh budding flowers. Preparation for Ugadi begins with a ritual of whitewashing and spring cleaning every nook and corner of the household just like any other important festival. Here are some of the ways to clean and prepare your home for Ugadi.

Whitewashing and cleaning homes
As is customary for all festival, preparing for Ugadi is also about following the ritual of cleaning the house and decorating the front yard. Cleaning the interiors of your household is considered a must as it enables positive energies to prevail in your surroundings. Cleaning your house on Ugadi is more like a cleansing ritual to get rid of the unwanted elements accumulated in your house. If possible, make sure to whitewash your homes or at least make sure that the corners of your house, cupboards and drawers are properly cleaned.

Decorating the front yard
On the day of Ugadi, family members get up before the break of dawn and follow the ritualistic oil bath. Cleaning the front yard of their home and decorating it with rangolis are the most significant part of Ugadi. This festival is definitely not complete without colourful rangoli in attractive designs. Traditional rangolis can be done using flower petals, leaves or even lentils and grains.

Mango toranas
Usually after cleaning the homes thoroughly, every one prepares for Ugadi by taking the ritualistic head bath and later decorate the entrance of their household with mango toranas and garlands of flowers. Stringing together mango leaf toranas and neem leaves and hanging them on the entrance of your homes for Ugadi indicates good yields and general well-being. Mango leaves not only symbolises the festival ambiance but it is also considered to be auspicious. It is also said to bring in good fortune to your household. All these rituals are followed just to refresh the mind with constructive thinking and to discard any negative thoughts.

Jasmine flowers
Usually cleaning and decorating your home, especially the pooja room, with garland of flowers is done in a grand style. The jasmine flowers are used for decorations on this special day. It is also considered to be auspicious placing Tulsi plant at the front yard of your home. Everyone offers flowers of neem, mango and tamarind to the Gods and Goddesses. The front door decoration usually consists of rangoli , Mango leaves and Kemmannu (red earth ). Sometimes even neem leaves are used.

Splash cow dung
Some people sprinkle fresh cow dung on the ground in front of their house only on this auspicious occasion.

Bevu Bella
The most important preparation for Ugadi is Bevu Bella. It is customary to eat sweet jaggery and bitter neem together on this festival as this symbolises life’s journey, which is a concoction of joy and sourness. Even a special sweet called Obbattu or Holige is prepared on this auspicious day.

Hope this Ugadi brings in a lot of beautiful memories and spreads the spirit of happiness in your life!