Gudi Padwa is the most auspicious occasion, a holy festival and a new year for Maharashtrian people. This day is usually celebrated on the first day of Hindu Lunar month of Chaitra. Gudi Padwa is very special festival for my family and it is celebrated in a special way.

Importance of Gudi Padwa

Many stories and events are related to Gudi Padwa and in order of remembrance this auspicious festival is usually celebrated.

It is believed that on this auspicious occasion, Lord Brahma recreated the Universe from massive destruction and chaos. Hence Gudi Padwa is celebrated in the remembrance of innumerable Lords. 

It is also believed that on this day Lord Rama returned Ayodhya after defeating or killing Ravan and his allies. Hence people of Ayodhya celebrated this day and considered as the beginning of new era. 

Gudi Padwa Rituals

Holy Bath and Decoration

A day prior to Gudi Pawda, people start cleaning the house. On this day, it is a custom to wake up early in the morning, and take oil massage and then warm water bath. Oil makes our body soft and elastic once it is absorbed and warm water after the massage pleases our body. Women wear beautiful nine yard saree, also called as 'Navari' saree while kurta pajama and turban are the famous outfit in men during Gudi Padwa. Women and girls draw colorful rangolis in front of the door or house. My family also make use of small lamps or 'diva' to maker rangoli more beautiful and attractive. Also every house door are decorated with flowers or garland or' toran' in marathi. Most of the Maharashtrian people use flowers for every festival to decorate their homes as flowers signifies fragrance and purity which makes the home pure and full of positive energy.  

Gudi

Once the house is decorated we start focusing on making the Gudi. The Gudi is basically a bronze Kalash that is placed upside down on a wooden stick. Swastik is made on the Kalash using turmeric and vermillon. Wooden stick is usually covered with bright red or yellow color cloth that looks like a saree. Along with Gudi, a garland made of neem leaves and sugar candy are hung. This garland signifies the bitterness and sorrow of our life, neem being sour in taste while sugar resembles sweetness. This Gudi is then placed tilted at an angle near the doorway or near the window. After placing the Gudi, people offer the flowers, perform aarti and distribute the prasad made of Neem and jaggery or sugar.

Special Dish

On this occasion a special dish is prepared called 'Puran Poli' which consists of paste made from bengal gram (chana dal), sugar or jaggery filled into wheat roti. Then it is prepared as we prepare roti. Some people make sugar and jaagery syrup so that you can eat puran poli by dpping into the syrup. In my family, we prepare both sweet syrup and spicy curry along with Puran Poli. This is the most delicious dish I have ever come across and I can eat it anytime anywhere. 

Along with Puran Poli, we also prepare dal and rice, salad, potato vegetable, and kheer. This becomes a complete dish during Gudi Padwa. 

This auspicious day ends with the evening dinner and in the remembrance of god for saving us from the disaster and for the beginning of new era. 

Ahoi Ashtami is a festival celebrated in most of the parts of Northern India where the married women keep fast for their children. Ahoi Ashtami is celebrated in Karthik month according to Hindu calendar. This festival comes exactly eight days before Diwali festival which is celebrated throughout India. The mother keeps fast from early morning to late evening till the moon and stars are visible in the sky. During the day the mother cannot have water or any kind of food. In the time between afternoon and evening the mother recites a Katha (traditional holy story) to her children. A pot of water is kept nearby while the Katha is recited. After the stars are visible in the sky at night the mother completes the fast by offering the water to the stars from the very pot which was kept during the Katha. Some families have the tradition of completing the fast by offering water to the moon. The water which is left over in pot is drunk by the mother as sacred water.  The children are given new clothes, sweets of their likes. The food which is prepared in the house that day also has to be according to the likeness of children. There are a few points to be kept in consideration while observing the fast ritually:-

1)The mother should not cut any fruits or vegetables with knife during the fast.

2)The mother should not do any kind of sewing with the needle.

3)The mother should not scold the children during the fast.

4)The children should not be forced to do any kind of work on this day. They are free to do anything they like.

The Katha which is recited by the mother is as follows:-

[Image Source:- Mobile phone/Self]

There were three families living in a locality. The first family had seven children, second family had only one child and that was a boy while the third family had no child. The woman who had only one child and the woman with no child envied the woman who had seven children, so both the women decided to go to a saint who was capable of granting any boon. The saint gave both of them a task—in order to win the task they had to clip all the hair of any child they come across and bring them to the saint. The first one to complete the task would win the boon. The woman with only one child spotted a boy with good hair, as she tried to clip his hair, he started crying. As she was familiar with the pain of her own child, she also started crying and went empty handed. Contrary to this, the woman who had no child clipped all of the hair of a boy as she was unaware of the pain she was causing to him. Both of them went to the saint and gave their respective point of view. But the saint was impressed with the feelings of the woman with one child as she was aware of the motherly love. So he awarded the mother who had only one child with a boon that she will have seven sons for seven births continuously.

From time immemorial the festival Navratri is being celebrated annually by all Hindus. Navratri means nine nights festival. This festival commences from the next day to the great new moon day called MAGALAYA AMAVASYA day. On the first day of the commencement of this nine night’s festival every house will be cleaned, decorated and all the dolls of various kinds which are kept reserved in the house will be placed in the nine steps put up in one by one in rows and arranged beautifully to attract the visitors who are specially invited to witness this doll festival. The neighbors who are invited come and stay for a while and witness the beautiful dolls and their arrangements. It is called KOLU. Usually the visitors sing songs on various gods especially the goddesses. On the first three days usually they pray to Goddess Parvati wife of Lord Siva, the second and third days are devoted to Goddess Lakshmi - wife of Lord Vishnu and on the last three days Goddess Saraswati, wife of Lord Brahma is worshipped. The intention behind the praying to the three goddesses is meant to give respect for strength, wealth and wisdom. The three goddesses are intended for the three items respectively. On the final day which is called “The AYUDHA POOJA” day, it is a usual practice to worship all the instruments and machinaries, which are used by the working class. This is to give respect to them as they were helped to use for earning. All the old books used by the ancestors and their descendants which are currently under use are also arranged neatly, kept and worshiped on the day of “Saraswati Pooja” that is the day before “AYUDHA POOJA” day. It is to pray the goddess Saraswati to give knowledge. 

All these will be to give respect for the strength, wealth and the knowledge. We are in a position to get our needs by praying the respective goddesses. Every man will be suffering from want of something or other. All their needs will be categorized in three major heads. They are wealth, health and knowledge. The object of celebrating the nine day festival is to pray the respected goddesses to offer these needs.

Generally, the persons who are invited to witness the Kolu will sing songs and in turn they will be respected by offering some gifts and snacks.

Now-a-days several private agencies have arranged to visit to look the Kolus kept in the houses and offer gifts for the well arranged Kolus.

It is a chance to express our expressions by way of arranging so many dolls made by various materials such as clay, wood, papier-mache etc., it is like an exhibition and show arranged by the private parties. Generally in the top steps the dolls connected with the goddesses will be arranged and in other steps so many dolls to denote the other occurrences held during Ramayana and Mahabharata days and various births of Lords to prove that none could override and succeed the heavenly creations and actions.

Mainly, the general indication is to prove that the human being could imagine and act only to certain extent and beyond that the heavenly actions will override the human knowledge and thinking and acts in superiority.

So, all the Hindu families are regularly celebrating this ancient customary festival without avoiding them. It is to be understood that the man must try to investigate the reasons for so many customary habits, discovering advanced things side by side and add them with the ancient and customary habits to get development in all the fields.

This festival is being celebrated in various zones in India and they are called by several names. In respect of Karnataka, more importance is being given for this festival especially in Mysore called “Dasahara”. Here, on all the nine days the palace of the ex-kings will be decorated by lightning arrangements and processions using the elephants will be mainly celebrated. More importance is given to praise the goddess Chamundeshwari who killed the monster called Mahishasura.So also in respect of north-east region especially in Kollkata during this celebration it is mainly devoted by praying to the Goddesses Durga and Kali.

It is to be construed that all evils will be destroyed and novel thinking and creation will be entertained by paying respect to the gods to offer sufficient knowledge, health and wealth.

The creation of several steps to place the dolls in the order to denote that man must come forward in life step by step, and finally reach the eternal stage.

These steps to place the several dolls will be in the order of single digits only. To give respect to the creator a kumbam which is made of coconut will be placed in the center of the steps and it will be decorated suitably. Then the other dolls in the order of their taste will be arranged and kept to give beautiful scenery.

The idea behind the celebration of nine days is mainly to collect the neighbors in houses, get united and adopt the policy of give and take among them. The main object of the birth is to continue up to longevity for which the basic needs are water and food. The next requirement is the habitation and the last is dresses worn. The third and final requirement is to understand the purpose of our birth. For the first requirement, it is enough that the food and water will suffice. For other needs the man has to find out the ways and means by using his knowledge.

On these principles the steps in the kolu will be so arranged and decorated. From the lower level to the top of the steps these principles are adopted and the dolls put up accordingly.

In the first three steps commencing from the lower level the essential and basic requirements for the man’s living like ground, fields, agriculturist, birds and vegetables are placed. In the center three steps the developments in various fields such as the novel houses, rupee coins, transport facilities and super human beings like king and queens, soldiers etc., are placed. In the final higher three levels the items denoting our knowledge in life style got by the wisdom from the goddess and saints are placed.

This is an important festival to denote the goddesses who are offering sufficient knowledge to live and make our life pleasant one.

The origin of birth is by the act of goddess Durga. The Goddess Lakshmi bestows wealth and Goddess Saraswati gives wisdom and knowledge. Hence in memorization to denote the three main goddesses are exhibited in the kolus arranged and put annually and all are invited to see and understand the principles behind them.

The benefits by adopting this cultural festival – Navratri

• Our tradition and culture will be maintained.
• The youngsters have a chance to show their skills and arts.
• It is a chance to meet our neighbors and spend joyful hours on all the nine days and strengthen their unity and cooperation.
• As the celebrations are held during the evening hours, it is possible for one and all to associate and enjoy fully.
• The dolls made of wooden are mainly placed to show our life style of our ancestor’s periods.
• It is a main source for the livelihood of the artists who are manufacturing these various kinds of dolls by using their skills on labor.

The aim of our ancestors in putting the dolls denoting other living beings in the Kolu is to show that we are not forgetting the past living and their coordination with the nature and its offerings. We should not simply treat the festival as a routine one but understand the truth behind it that the adoption of various cultures, getting united and enjoying ourselves in a great manner.

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India is a land of diverse races, religions, casteism and cultures. But there is unity in spite of rich diversity. Each state of India has its typical culture and celebrate it with great fervor and gaiety. Every year Ganesha Puja is celebrated in the month of August or September. It is celebrated with great pomp and show, zeal and gusto. The festival continues for seven days.

This festival commemorates the birth of Ganesha. The son of Lord Shiva. Many myths and legends are connected with Ganesha, Lord Shiva in wrath cut off the head of his son, Ganesha. Parvati, was in great grief and sorrow. She begged Lord Shiva to bring her son back to life. Lord Shiva wandered from place to place in search of a son whose mother was sleeping with her back towards her son. He searched and searched but could not get the success. At last he found a she elephant sleeping with her back towards her son. Lord Shiva cut off the head of the baby elephant and fixed it on the body of his son Ganesha. This is how Ganesha came to have trunk of an elephant and the body of a man.

Ganesha Puja is celebrated in Maharashtra, Kerala, Gujarat and many other states in our country. This festival is mostly celebrated in Maharashtra. The people of Maharashtra celebrate the festival by offering worship and prayer to Ganesha. All the seven days of the festival are dedicated to song, dance and rejoicings. Hymns are chanted the festival, houses are cleaned and white washed and they are tastefully decorated with multi-coloured flowers. A cay idol of Ganesha is made in every home.After making the idol of Ganesha, it is painted. It is the object of worship throughout the festival week. The favorite dishes of Ganesha are prepared and offered to the idol. People spare no pains to appears the deity. It is believed that Ganesha is very fond of Laddoos. So Laddoos of the finest quality are prepared and offered to Ganesha. The offering of Laddoos are a special feature of Ganesha Puja festival. It is believed to be the purest way of pleasing the deity and winning his favors and blessings.

The seventh day is the day of farewell of Ganesha. A large fair is held on the bank of a river or a stream. People carry the clay idols of Ganesha on their heads in the form of procession. The procession is accomplished by the beating of drums. Along with the drums, singing of songs and performance of dances are also accompanied. The clay idols of Ganesha are ceremoniously immersed into the water. The immersion ceremony is very thrilling, exciting and fascinating. Men, women and children join the fair carried about in boats on the surface of the water and then they are immersed. Soon after the immersion,sweets are distributed among the children. We forget all our bitter feelings on this day and embrace one another with affection and love. At fair, children buy toys and balloon and come back home happily.