Hi friends,

Today I will tell you something about Gudi Padwa Festival celebrated all across my state Maharashtra.

Gudi Padwa is the first Holy festival which marks the beginning of the New Year, new month and new day for the Hindus. This day falls on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada as per the Indian lunar calendar. This festival is supposed to mark the beginning of Vasant (spring). According to the Gregorian calendar this would fall sometime at the end of March and the beginning of April. This is one of the 3 and a half days in the Indian Lunar calendar called "Sade-Teen Muhurt", whose every moment is considered auspicious in general to start a new activity.

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 doorway with a ‘toran’, performing ritualistic worship and hoisting the Gudi. Gudi is a symbol of victory. Amongst the various qualities of God, 'Being Victorious' is one and it symbolizes that God has achieved victory at the outset and at various levels. To symbolize this, a Gudi is hoisted. The Gudi is raised next to the main entrance of the house. The spot selected should be on the right side (when sighted from the house) of the entrance. The right side symbolizes active state of the soul.

On Gudi Padwa, the waves consisting of the fire element (Tej tatva) and the creative element (Prajapati tatva) are activated on a large scale. The divine consciousness emanating during sunrise, if absorbed at this time, lasts longer. This consciousness is stored in the body cells and used as required. Therefore it is said that within 5-10 minutes of sunrise one should perform ritualistic worship of the Gudi.

The prasad of Gudi Padwa is the bitter leaves of the neem tree with jaggery. There are special foods prepared for this festival such as shrikhand (a fragrant yogurt dessert), with poori (a fried puffy bread) or Puranpoli (Yellow Split-Chickpeas & Jaggery/Sugar mixture stuffed inside poli, which somewhat resembles a Roti) with ghee or milk.

So friends, I wish all of you

" Happy Gudi Padwa and a Prosperous New Year!!!! "