Yugadi

Ugadi
Ugadi Pachadi with New Year prayer puja tray
Also called	Yugadi
Observed by	Hindus in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil nadu
Type	religious (Hindu), social, cultural
Celebrations	Kolam-Rangoli, visiting Temples, Feast with Ugadi pachadi
Begins	1st day of Chaitra
Date	March (generally), April (occasionally)
2017 date	Wed, 29 March
2018 date	Sun, 18 March
2019 date	Sat, 9 Apr
Frequency	Annual
Related to	Gudi Padwa and other regional Hindu new year day

Ugadi (Ugādi, Samvatsarādi, Yugadi) is the New Year's Day for the Hindus of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana state in India. It is festively observed in these regions on the first day of the Hindu lunisolar calendar month of Chaitra. This typically falls in March or April of the Gregorian calendar.

The day is observed by drawing colorful patterns on floor called kolamulus (Kannada: Rangoli), mango leaf decorations on doors called toranalu (Kannada: Toranagalu), buying and giving gifts such as new clothes, giving charity to the poor, special bath followed by oil treatment, preparing and sharing a special food called pachadi, and visiting Hindu temples. The pachadi is a notable festive food that combines all flavors – sweet, sour, salty, bitter. In the Telugu and Kannada Hindu traditions, it is a symbolic reminder that one must expect all flavors of experiences in the coming new year and make the most of them.

Ugadi has been important and historic festival of the Hindus, with medieval texts and inscriptions recording major charitable donations to Hindu temples and community centers on this day. The same day is observed as a New Year by Hindus in many other parts of India. For example, it is called Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra, but sometimes observed a Gregorian day earlier because the lunar day starts and ends in Hindu calendar according to the position of the moon. In Karnataka, the festival is celebrated as Yugadi.

The name Yugadi or Ugadi is derived from the Sanskrit words yuga (age) and ādi (beginning): "the beginning of a new age". Yugadi or Ugadi falls on "Chaitra Shudhdha Paadyami" or the first day of the bright half of the Indian month of Chaitra. This generally falls in late March or early April of the Gregorian calendar.

The people of Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh use the term Ugadi (ఉగాది) and Karnataka use the term Yugadi (ಯುಗಾದಿ) for this festival.