|  Fresh hopes and renewed vigour mark the celebrations of a New Year. And with the onset of Spring, one can enjoy the chirping of birds, the early morning chills and the blooming of colourful flowers. Especially the fragrance of the blossoming neem flowers in the air announces the arrival of the New Year for the people of all the four southern states. It is Ugadi for the Telugu and Kannada speaking people on April 2 and Pudhu Varusham or Vishu for the Tamils and Malayalees on April 14.
'Yes! The names of the 60 years, which are said to be derived from Naradha Purana (the names of Naradha’s 60 sons), are the same for all four. While Ugadi is celebrated on the next day of Amavasya (following Lunar Calendar) that occurs in Palguna month, Tamil and Malayalam New Year is decided according to the solar calendar. The dates may vary but the spirit remains the same. And the celebrations also follow the tradition on the same lines. Ugadi is celebrated with traditional fervour and gusto throughout Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and by the Telugus and Kannadigas who stay in other states too. As the meaning suggests, Ugadi symbolises the beginning of a new era. While it is believed that all the other Yugas (like Kritha, Thretha and Dwapara Yuga) dawned around different seasons, only Kali Yuga was born at the onset of Spring - Vasantha Rithu, that brings happiness and hopes. So, it maybe because of this that it is named Ugadi - beginning of a new Yugam, and the same remained to denote the dawn of the New Year too. Ugadi is celebrated with much enthusiasm that accompanies a festival. There are strings of mango leaves at the doorsteps and beautiful kolams in front of the houses, flowers aplenty - all denoting the arrival of the New Year.  "First and foremost after the customary oil bath is the taste of the special sweet Pachadi prepared out of new tamarind, mango and neem flower with banana as the base. Some salt and chilli powder is also added to the pachadi. Symbolically, as the taste of the pachadi is sweet and sour, (the bitter taste due to the neem flower) our life in the year that follows will also have a mixture of good and bad," says Mrs. C G K
Somayajulu.
Mostly people buy new clothes for Ugadi (also known as samvatsara pandaga) and after the puja to the family deity, the feast follows with gharalu (amai vadai), and suhiyan. Though newly married couples get the blessings of the bride’s parents (if the place is within reach), it is customary for the bride to stay with the parents-in-law. But as a token of gift, her parents send seer - new clothes for the couple, sweets like laddu and Mysore pak, and murukku along with five coconuts smeared with turmeric powder. In
Karnataka, Ugadi is celebrated with traditional fervour. Neem flower sweet pachadi -- Bevu Bella -- is a main item of the offerings that follows the special puja to the family deity. In the puja is kept the new almanac. Obbattu (poli) and payasam are included in the special menu of the feast.  More than the new dress and the feast, Panchanga Sravanam is an important agenda that is still valued by most of the people. In the evening mostly at a gathering or sometimes at homes, the new almanac will be read in detail - interpretations as to the amount of rainfall that we will receive, a prognosis of the shape of things - both good and bad, according to each Rasi or Janma
Nakshatra.
Academies and Sanghas take this occasion as an opportunity to honour citizens for their excellence in different fields, every year for the Ugadi Puraskar. There are celebrations every year at the Anantha Padmanabha Swamy Temple in Adyar. Similarly there will be Panchanga Sravanam in the Ragavendra Swamy Mutt for Kannadigas to hear the predictions for the coming year from learned pundits. Festivals and celebrations help people to unite. And there are people striving for unity among all diversities. R Bharathi
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