About: Gudi Padwa

Gudi Padwa is a spring festival marking the start of the lunisolar new year for Marathi and Konkani Hindus. It is celebrated in and around Maharashtra, Goa & Damaon at the start of Chaitra, the first month of the lunisolar Hindu calendar. The festival is characterised by colourful floor decorations called rangoli, a special gudi dvaja; which is a saari or dhoti or other piece of cloth garlanded with flowers, mango & neem leaves; a sugar crystal garland called gathi, topped with upturned silver or copper vessels. Celebration also includes street gathering, dancing & festive foods. In Maharashtra, the first day of the bright phase of the moon is called gudhi paadwaa, pādvo. Konkani Hindus variously refer to the day as sausāra pāḍavo or sausāra pāḍyo. Telugu Hindus celebrate the same occasion as Ugadi, while Kannada Hindus in Karnataka refer to it as Yugadi. Sindhi people celebrate the day as Cheti Chand, it is observed as the emergence of the day of Jhulelal.