Yugadhi (Chandramana and Souramana)/Vishu

Although the Indian National Calendar is the official calendar for the Hindus, regional variants still prevail. As a result, there are a host of New Year festivities that are unique to the particular regions of India. Expatriate Indians also follow the customs of India and celebrate these New Year days according to the region of India from where they hail.

The people of Kerala in the south of India celebrate their new year — Vishu — on the first day in the first month of Medam in the Malayalam Calendar. In Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka the New Year day is called Ugadi or Yugadi meaning the beginning of a new Yougam. The Tamilians celebrate the new year as Varsha Pirappu and follow the Solar calendar. Bengalis usher in the new year with the Poila Baishakh celebrations, the Maharashtrians with Gudi Padwa, and the Assamese in the northeast with the Bihu festivals. Hindus in Punjab get agog with Baisakhi, the springtime festival marking the beginning of a new year. The Nepalese new year — Nava Varsha — falls on the 21st of March, and the Kashmiri Lunar year — Navreh — starts on the 10th of March.

New Year at the Parashakthi Temple:

Chandramana Yugadi : Celebrated by the people of Karnataka based on the Lunar measurement of time. Ugadi has its derivation from two terms ‘Yuga’ and ‘adi’ which respectively means ‘era’ and ‘beginning’. So, the beginning of the new era is Ugadi - the Hindu New Year. Ancient Indian history says that the four-faced God Brahma created the Earth at the dawn of the Chaitra Masa.

Souranama ugadi : The people of Andhra base the new year according to the solar calendar and hence the New year day which begins with the Chitra Masa ( Chitra Month) . Likewise, people of Tamil Nadu celebrate the new year on the same day namely the first day of Chittirai Masam. The Hindu Calendar is year is named in a cycle of 60 names which repeat themselves every 60 years.

Vishu : Falls on the first day of Malayalam month Medam (April), which is the astronomical New Year Day when the sun crosses the equator. Malayalees begin the day early in the morning by visiting the temple and seeing any auspicious sight, which they call "Vishukani." The day is full of the elaborate traditional rituals with tokens called "Vishukaineetam", usually in form of coins, being distributed . People wear new clothes — "Kodi vastram" — and celebrate the day by bursting firecrackers and enjoying a variety of delicacies at an elaborate lunch called the "sadya" with family and friends. The afternoon and evening is spent in the "Vishuwela" — the new year fair.

Shubho Naba Barsha on Poila Baishakh!

The first day of the Bengali new year falls on the 13th or 14th of April every year. Called "Poila Baishakh," it's a state holiday in the eastern state of West Bengal and a national holiday in Bangladesh. To welcome the new year or "Naba Barsha", people clean and decorate their houses and invoke Goddess Lakshmi, the bestower of wealth and prosperity. All new enterprises begin on this auspicious day, as businessmen open their fresh ledgers with "Haal Khata"— a ceremomy in which Lord Ganesha is summoned and customers are invited to settle all their old dues and offered free refreshments. The people of Bengal spend the day feasting and participating in cultural activities.

Bring in the Goodies on Gudi Padwa!

In Maharashtra, the new year is celebrated as Gudi Padwa — a festival that heralds the advent of spring. Early on the morning of the first day of the Chaitra month, people finish their ablutions, wear new clothes and decorate their houses with colorful "rangoli" patterns. A silk banner is raised and worshipped, and greetings and sweets are exchanged. People hang "gudis" on their windows on this day to celebrate Mother Nature's bounty. A "gudi" is a decorated pole with a brass or a silver vessel placed on it.

The Bright & Boisterous Bohaag Bihu

The northeastern state of Assam ushers in the new year with the spring festival of Bohaag Bihu or Rongali Bihu, which marks the onset of a new agricultural cycle. Fairs are organized where people revel in fun loving games. The celebrations go on for days together, and it's a good time for young people to find a companion of their own choice! Young belles in traditional attire sing "Bihugeets" and dance the traditional "Mukoli Bihu". The festive food of the occasion is the "pitha" or rice cakes. People visit each other's houses, exchange gifts and sweets and, greet each other a Happy New Year!

PARASHAKTHI (The Eternal Mother) Temple 551 W. Kennett, Pontiac, Michigan 48340 Phone - 248 - 322-4731 Maps & Directions e-mail: omshakthi@parashakthitemple.org