Ugadi – How Telugu New Year is Celebrated, Puja timings & History

March 29, 2025

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Ugadi – Ringing in the New Year – Andhra – Karnataka – Telangana

Ugadi Festival is a day of joy and celebrations for the people of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. Also known as Yugadi. It is the day that rings in the New Year for these states. With it comes new hope and renewed vigour, that is Telugu New Year. The name ‘Ugadi’ comes from two words – Yuga, which means age and Adi which means beginning. It is also known as Chandramana Ugadi with reference to the Lunar calendar. It is celebrated on the first day of the Chaitra month. It is also the first day of Chaitra Navratri. It also signals the end of winter and the start of the harvest season.

History of Ugadi/Yugadi

The stories connected with Ugadi say the Lord Brahma started to create the universe on this day. In other words this was the first day. He then created weeks, months, years and so on. This was the beginning of time as we know it. Ugadi marks the first day of a new astronomical cycle. For the next 21 days the northern hemisphere of the earth will receive maximum sunlight, thereby recharging for a new beginning. Ugadi is the start of the spring season when nature starts to bloom.

Plants and leaves begin to sprout and greenery is evident all around, giving the world a brand-new look.

Ugadi Timings

The Ugadi festival is celebrated during Brahma Muhurat (early morning). The following are the key timings:

Pratipada Tithi Begins: March 29, 2025, at 4:27 PM
Pratipada Tithi Ends: March 30, 2025, at 12:49 PM

Also, read Ugadi Festival at Srisailam Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple

Preparations Before Ugadi

The celebration of Ugadi begins one week before the actual festival. People start cleaning their homes and decorating them beautifully.

Many houses have colourful rangoli designs at the entrance, as it is believed that the new year will be as bright and colourful as rangoli.
Mango leaves are placed at the entrance of homes, temples and shops to bring good fortune.
New businesses and shops are often opened on this day, as Ugadi is considered an auspicious time to start something new.

How is Ugadi Celebrated

Taking an Oil Bath and Wearing New Clothes

People wake up before sunrise, take a traditional oil bath and wear new clothes to mark the fresh beginning

Preparing Social Food: Ugadi Food

One of the most important dishes of Ugadi is Pachadi, a special chutney made with six ingredients: neem flowers, chilli powder, tamarind, raw mango, jaggery and salt. The dish teaches that life is a mix of different experiences and we should accept them all.

Apart from Pachadi, other delicious dishes like Holige and Puliogare are also prepared, especially in Karnataka.

Listening to Panchanga

Families gather to listen to Panchanga Sravanam, where priests, astrologers or elders read the predictions for the coming year.

Cultural Event and Gift Giving

Cultural programs, including music, dance and storytelling, take place across different states. People exchange gifts and sweets with family and friends as a way of spreading happiness.

Pachadi – An essential part of the Celebrations

Pachadi is an amazing dish made specially on the day of Ugadi. It has great significance and no celebration is complete without it. Pachadi is a sweet and sour chutney, but its taste is not limited to sweet and sour only. It is also bitter, salty, hot and tangy. Pachadi is made of six ingredients – each of which denotes a particular emotion in life –

Banana and Jaggery – Sweetness and Happiness

Neem Flowers – Bitterness and Sadness

Green Chilly – Heat and Anger

Salt – Fear

Tamarind – Disgust

Raw Mango – Surprise

Pachadi is a dish that symbolically reminds people that life in the following year will consist of all sorts of experiences. There will be good happy moments, there will be disappointing times. Life will come with a host of other different feelings at different times and it has to be looked upon as a whole. One needs to be prepared for all that comes and deal with situations philosophically.

Ugadi – Many names and places

In Telugu language alone Ugadi has 60 different names. In different states across India, Ugadi is celebrated with different names and ways. In Maharashtra, it is known as Gudi Padwa. The Sindhi community celebrates this day as Cheti Chand. In Manipur, this day is known as Sajibu Cheiraoba. The day may have many names and ways to celebrate but the underlying message is the same. It is a most auspicious day which brings new hope and happiness to all. It is a day which brings peace and harmony into people’s lives.