As per our traditional calendar, Uga:di or Yuga:di is celebrated as New Year's day. In Sanskrit 'Yuga' means a new time period and
'A:di' means beginning. According to Ve:dic system, a new time period starts from this Yuga:di day. The first month of our lunar calendar by the name 'Chaithra Ma:sa' starts on this day.
Lord Sri:man Na:ra:yana created four headed Brahma. He taught him all the ve:das and assigned him the task of creating the universe. Brahma prayed to Lord Sri:man Na:ra:yana, that he would like to have Sri:man Na:ra:yana with him always. Lord Sri:man Na:ra:yana then brought out his form as an idol, exactly as he appears in the Milky Ocean, and gave it to Brahma. This form is the first idol form of deity in this universe.
Later on Sun God requested Brahma and got from him the idol of Sri:man Na:ra:yana. Sun God gave it to his son Manu, Manu gave it to his son Ikshva:ku. Thus the idol form of Sri:man Na:ra:yana was continued to be worshipped in the dynasty of Ikshva:ku for several generations. Lord Ra:ma also worshipped the same deity. At the request of Vibhi:shana, Lord Ra:ma gave the idol to him.
Vibhi:shana while carrying the idol to his city Lanka, placed the idol on the banks of river Ka:ve:ri, for his afternoon prayers. After finishing his prayers, when he tried to take the idol again, he could not lift it from there. That place where the idol remained fixed is called Sri:Rangam and the idol form of deity, which is still being worshipped there is called Sri: Rangana:tha. The day Lord Rangana:tha's idol form came into existence, which is the birth day of Lord Sri: Rangana:tha is called Yuga:di. This is the day on which Brahma started creation of this universe. That is the main reason why we celebrate Yuga:di.
Yuga:di also signifies the start of spring season. The whole nature changes its color. It is a new beginning with plants having new life, shoots and leaves, green fields and meadows shining with full of colorful blossoms. Yuga:di is celebrated on the first day (pa:dyami) of the first month (Chaithra) of our traditional calendar.
On Yuga:di day, we should do three activities mainly.
1. ABHYANGANA SNANAM
We should wake up well before dawn and take an ABHYANGANA SNANAM. That means we will take a special bath with oil massage and herbal bath powders to the body and rita juice to the hair. After the bath in olden days people use to dry up their hair with natural fragranted sa:mbra:ni dhu:pam. This abhyangana snanam is good for health and gives some sort of happiness. Then waring new dresses we will worship Lord to get His blessings to be happy throughout the year.
2. NIMBAKUSUMA BAKSHANAM
(Nimba-neem, kusumam-flower, Bakshanam-eating.)
We should eat a simple special dish of neem flower that has all 6 tastes. In every home, they prepare a nice mixture using fresh sugarcane pieces/ jaggery (for sweet), neem flowers (for bitter), tamarind juice (for sour), new mango pieces (for acrid), few green chillies (for hot), and a little bit salt. All these things are afresh, natural and unprocessed and mixed in a right proportion. Eating this special dish is good for us in two ways. 1) Having herbal values this special dish prevents us suffering from seasonal diseases and allergies. 2) This is meant to remind us that life is a mixture of all the tastes and experiences. One should be able to face them all and handle the situations smartly and successfully in progressing towards the goal of life. People offer this to Lord and ate first in the morning.
3. PANCHA:NGA SRAVANAM
Pancha:ngam means five aspects. They are 1) Thidhi= the phase of the moon, 2)Va:ram= the day of the week, 3)Nakshthram= star, which rules on that day, 4) Yo:gam= different conjuctions that influence our actions, 5) Karanam= time based on different pre-determined constants. Considering all these five elements and basing on the broad of the results of various stars, planets and their movements across the horizon, Puro:hitha:s forecast the trend of social, economic and environmental changes that might come in the new year. Listening to these things from Purohi:thas will be called as Panchanga Sravanam.
On Uga:di day, people attend the Pancha:nga Sravanam conducted by Puro:hitha:s (scholars who prepare our traditional calenders). By listening to this we should understand that happiness-sorrow, profit-loss, and victory-defeat all these opposite things will come in everybody’s life. So, we shouldn’t feel bad and give up the things. By praying to Lord and having faith in Him we should continue to fulfill our responsibilities. Based on the forecasts people plan their major undertakings and other activities. Traditionally, listening to the yearly calendar (pancha:ngam) and astrological forecasts were done at the temples or town square. But now a days people are also listening to the yearly calendar even at home on the TV.
In some places it is a custom to chant Sri: Ra:ma:yanam for nine days starting from Yuga:di day. Kavi Samme:lanam (poetry recitation) is a typical Telugu Ug:adi feature. Many poets come up with new poems written on subjects ranging - from Uga:di - to politics to modern trends and lifestyles. It is generally carried live on radio and TV following Newyear forecast.
Uga:di is thus a festival of many shades. It brings so many newthings in the newyear along with new life to plants and fills the hearts of people with joy.
Tamil people celebrate their Uga:di when sun enters into the Mesharasi, because they follow the solar calendar.
Jai Srimannarayana!
