Ugadi

Ugadi
Ugadi Pachadi
Observed by	Hindus
Type	Asian festival
Celebrations	1 day
Begins	Chaitra Shuddha Padyami
Date	March (generally), April (occasionally)
2017 date	28 March
Frequency	annual

Ugadi (Ugādi, Samvatsarādi, Yugadi) is the New Year's Day for the people of the Kannada and Telugu communitiesin India. It falls on a different day every year because the Hindu calendar is a lunisolar calendar. This holiday is one of the most auspicious days for Kannadigas and Telugus. The Saka calendar begins with the month of Chaitra (March–April) and Ugadi marks the first day of the new year. Chaitra is the first month in Panchanga which is the Indian calendar. In some parts of India it is known as Vikram Samvat or Bhartiya Nav Varsh. This holiday is mostly prevalent in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra. Gudi Padwa, which is the Marathi new year, is also celebrated on the same day.

The name Yugadi or Ugadi is derived from the Sanskrit words yuga (age) and ādi (beginning): "the beginning of a new age". Yugadi specifically refers to the start of the age we are living in now, the Kali Yuga. The Kali Yuga began when Lord Krishna left the world. Maharshi Vedavyasa describes this event with the words "Yesmin Krishno divamvyataha, Tasmat eeva pratipannam Kaliyugam". Kali Yuga began on February 17 or 18, at midnight, in 3102 BCE.

In the terminology used by the Andhra-Kannada luni-solar calendar, Yugadi or Ugadi falls on "Chaitra Shudhdha Paadyami" or the first day of the bright half of the Indian month of Chaitra which begins the day after the new moon after the Sun enters Aries. This generally falls in the months of March or April of the Gregorian calendar.

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