Ugadi

The six tastes

At the heart of the celebration sits a dish called pachadi, known as bevu-bella in Karnataka. It blends ingredients that yield six fundamental flavors recognized in Indian tradition. Bitterness comes from neem blossoms, sweetness from jaggery, heat from chilli or pepper, and sourness from tamarind, alongside salty seasonings and astringent green mango. Together, these elements reflect the shifting conditions of life. Rather than wishing only for ease, the meal invites people to accept sorrow, joy, surprise, and anger with equal calm. Ayurvedic custom also links this combination to wellness, balancing bodily energies as cold weather gives way to the heat of the approaching summer.

Welcoming the new year

Preparations start well before the holiday arrives. Families scrub their houses thoroughly and purchase fresh garments, including traditional cotton dhotis. On the morning itself, people apply scented oils before taking a ritual bath. Outside the home, the entryway is washed with a mix of water and cow dung, then adorned with bright geometric floor art called muggulu or rangoli. Above doorways, strings of fresh green mango foliage, known as torana, welcome visitors and bring good fortune. Coconuts are also used during rituals, as both plants carry strong sacred associations in Hindu practice. Relatives visit one another to exchange gifts, share rich meals, and give money or food to those in need.

Listening to the almanac

Later in the day, households assemble at home, in temples, or within community halls for a custom called Panchanga Sravanam. An elder or local priest unrolls the newly issued almanac to read aloud what the heavens hold for the twelve months ahead. Listeners hear about five core astronomical components: the lunar date, day of the week, star constellation, celestial alignment, and half-day phase. The reading also covers anticipated rainfall for farming, likely dates of eclipses, and broader forecasts regarding commerce and spiritual fortune. By reviewing these predictions together, communities seek guidance on planting, trade, and important family decisions for the newly arrived year.

Kings and cosmic origins

According to the Brahma Purana, Ugadi commemorates Srishtyadi, the moment when the god Brahma launched cosmic creation. Historic records show that royal dynasties honored this day for centuries. Rulers of the Chalukya, Kakatiya, and Vijayanagara empires commemorated the holiday by establishing free kitchens called chattras, distributing farmland, and presenting rich donations to shrines. Similar spring observances appear across the subcontinent on this same date, including Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra and Goa, Cheti Chand among Sindhis, and Sajibu Nongma Panba in Manipur. Hindu communities in Bali also mark their New Year, called Nyepi, on this calendar day.

How Ugadi is kept

The festival begins with housecleaning and hanging fresh mango leaves above doorways. Early on the holiday morning, family members rub their bodies with fragrant oil before bathing, dress in new clothes, and draw colorful patterns outside their doorsteps. Relatives gather to eat festive sweets alongside the customary pachadi, a dish balancing sweet, bitter, hot, and sour ingredients. Later in the day, people visit temples to pray and listen to an elder or priest recite the new astrological almanac. The observance ends with charitable donations, visits to extended family, and a generous shared feast.

When and where

The holiday arrives annually in late March or early April on the Gregorian calendar. It falls on Chaitra Sukla Pratipada, the opening day of the lunar cycle in the month of Chaitra, which signals the beginning of spring in the traditional Hindu calendar.

Ugadi is celebrated most prominently across the southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka, with observances also held in sections of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Diaspora communities keep the custom worldwide, while the date is also recognized as an official holiday in Mauritius.

What Ugadi means

Ugadi represents fresh beginnings and cosmic renewal, marking the anniversary of the world's creation according to sacred texts. Its central food, pachadi, offers a lesson in emotional balance. By blending bitter neem, tart tamarind, and sweet jaggery, it reminds celebrants that the coming year will bring both pleasant and difficult moments, all of which should be met with equal composure.

On the table

• Ugadi pachadi
• bevu-bella
• bobbatlu
• holige
• pulihora
• burelu
• mango pickles

Flavours: Tamarind Chilli Black pepper

Ugadi dates: 2026, 2027, 2028

Questions people ask about Ugadi

See also

LosarThe Tibetan Buddhist New Year festival of renewal, offerings, and family feastsDiwaliA five-day festival of lights celebrated across India and its diaspora to mark the victory of light over darkness.NowruzThe Iranian new year at the March equinox, kept with fire, greenery and picnicsHoliA spring festival of colours and bonfires that marks the end of winter and the triumph of good over evil.

Good reading and sources

• Ugadi on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-04.