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Celebrating the Many New Years of India 🌿 🎭

09 Apr, 2024 5 min. read

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April in India isn’t just about warmer days and the promise of summer. It’s a canvas richly painted with the diverse celebrations of New Year and harvest festivals, each narrating a story of heritage, hope, and new beginnings.

Let’s explore the festive journey across India to rediscover the essence of April's festivities. Let's delve into these vibrant celebrations and what they symbolise for us all.

Flashback Alert! Back in January we took you on a journey across India peeking into the harvest festivals. Read More.

Punjab’s Baisakhi: The Harvest of Joy 🌾

On April 13, Baisakhi brings together the joy of harvest with the historical significance of the Khalsa's formation. It’s a day of dances, community fairs, and reflection on the values of courage and community. It's a day when the Golden Temple in Amritsar buzzes with energy and devotion, reflecting the spirit of renewal and togetherness. Starting a new venture, like a new business, or embarking on a journey of financial security with a new life insurance plan, on this day is considered particularly auspicious.

Cheti Chand: Sindhi New Year’s Fresh Horizons 💰

Not too far from Punjab, the Sindh region (now in Pakistan) gave birth to Cheti Chand. The Sindhi community all over the world observes Cheti Chand on the second day of Chaitra (April 9, this year) as a celebration of new opportunities and future prosperity.

It is believed that Cheti Chand is the birth anniversary of Jhulelal, the patron saint of the Sindhi community, revered for his role in protecting the Sindhi community. While not purely a harvest festival, it's a day rich in cultural rituals and the hope for abundance in the year ahead.

Assam’s Bohag Bihu: The Rhythm of Life 🎶

Moving towards the North East, in Assam, Bihu is celebrated three times a year, each marking a different agricultural cycle. In April, the Assamese celebrate Bohag Bihu – the most vibrant of them all – ringing in the New Year with heart-thumping Bihu dance and melodious folk songs. This festival is a testament to Assam’s agrarian roots and communal harmony.

Bengal’s Poila Boishakh: A Cultural Renaissance 📚 🎭

Poila Boishakh is a day when Bengal dresses in its festive best to welcome the New Year, typically on either 14^th or 15^th April. It is deeply associated with the cultural renaissance Rabindranath Tagore inspired in Bengal, marked by Tagore’s songs, poetry and dance. Interestingly, in Bangladesh, the morning of Poila Boishakh is celebrated with the Mongol Shobhajatra, a parade with colourful masks, floats, costumes, the works! UNESCO even declared this procession a cultural heritage of humanity in 2016.

Maharashtra's Gudi Padwa: Triumph and Prosperity 🌿

Westward ho! In the heart of Maharashtra, Gudi Padwa marks not just the Marathi New Year but a celebration of triumph and prosperity. The sight of the Gudi, an adorned bamboo staff, outside homes is believed to bring good fortune. Celebrated on the first day of Chaitra (April 9 this year), it's a day filled with sweet puran poli and the spirit of new beginnings.

Ugadi: Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka’s Celebration of Time 🍃

Down south, Ugadi ushers in the New Year with the flavors of life represented in the special dish ‘Ugadi Pachadi,’ reminding us of the experiences that shape our journey. Interestingly the name Ugadi, is derived from Sanskrit words ‘yuga’ (era) and ‘adi’ (beginning), meaning ‘the beginning of a new era.’ Like Gudi Padwa, Ugadi is celebrated on the first day of Chaitra across Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, it's a moment to embrace the passage of time and the cycle of life with positivity.

Tamil Nadu’s Puthandu: A Fresh Start 🎉

Puthandu on April 14, rings in the Tamil New Year with homes adorned with kolams and the tradition of viewing auspicious items as the first thing in the morning, setting a positive tone for the year. Mango Pachadi is a must-try dish that is prepared with sweet jaggery, sour raw mango, bitter neem flowers, and a variety of other flavours, symbolising the different aspects of life—from sweetness and joy to bitterness and challenges.

Kerala’s Vishu: Prosperity and Light 🌟

On the same day, Vishu in Kerala is celebrated with the Vishukkani, symbolizing a year filled with light and prosperity. One of the most important rituals of Vishu is the 'Vishukkani' (meaning ‘the first thing seen on the day of Vishu after waking up’). It is believed that a prosperous start to the year is ensured by viewing a carefully arranged assortment of auspicious items like raw rice, lemon, golden cucumber, coconut, jack fruit, kanikonna (golden shower tree flowers), betel leaves, arecanut, metal mirror, the holy text, and coins in a bell metal vessel called 'uruli'.