Gudi Padva

Gudhi Padva (Guḍhī Pāḍavā)
A Gudi Padwa new year festive procession in Maharashtra
Official name	Gudhi Padva
Observed by	Mahasrashtra Hindus
Type	Hindu
Celebrations	1 day
Begins	Chaitra Shuddha Padyami
Date	March / April
2017 date	Tues, 28 March
Frequency	annual
Related to	Ugadi and other Hindu new year festivals

Gudhi Padva (Marathi: गुढी पाडवा, IAST: Guḍhī Pāḍavā) is a spring-time festival that marks the traditional new year for Marathi Hindus. It is celebrated in and near Maharashtra on the first day of the Chaitra month to mark the beginning of the New year according to the lunisolar Hindu calendar. The word पाडवा (pāḍavā) or पाडवो (pāḍavo) or पड्ड्वा/पाड्ड्वो (pāḍḍavā/pāḍḍavo) comes from the Sanskrit word प्रतिपद or प्रतिपदा (pratipadā) in Sanskrit, which refers to the first day of a lunar fortnight. The festival is observed with colorful floor decorations called rangoli, a special Gudhi flag (garlanded with flowers, mango and neem leaves, topped with upturned silver or copper vessel), street processions, dancing and festive foods.

In south India, first day of the bright phase of the moon is called pāḍya (Kannada: ಪಾಡ್ಯ; Telugu: పాడ్యమి, paadyami; Konkani: पाड्यॆ, ಪಾಡ್ಯ). Konkani Hindus variously refer to the day as संसर पाडवो or संसर पाड्यॆ (saṁsāra pāḍavo / saṁsāra pāḍye), संसार (saṁsāra) being a corruption of the word संवत्सर (saṁvatsara). Telugu Hindus celebrate the same occasion as Ugadi, while Konkani and Kannada Hindus in Karnataka refer to it as युगादि, ಯುಗಾದಿ (yugādi). The same new year festival is known by other names in different regions of the Indian subcontinent. However, this is not the universal new year for all Hindus. For some, such as those in and near Gujarat, the new year festivities coincide with the five day Diwali festival. For many others, the new year falls on Vaisakhi between April 13 to 15, according to the solar cycle part of the Hindu lunisolar calendar, and this is by far the most popular not only among Hindus of the Indian subcontinent but also among Buddhists and Hindus in many parts of southeast Asia.