Gudi Padwa 2024 (Marathi New year): Celebrate Gudi Padwa with Gudhi, Puran Poli & great enthusiasm

Gudi Padwa is a major festival of Maharashtra that marks the beginning of a new year. It is celebrated on the same day as Ugadi, the new year festival observed in states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. People celebrate this day in great spirit and with full excitement and many traditional dishes are also prepared on this day. The main attraction of this day is the Gudi arrangement which is actually a bright colored silk scarf-like cloth decorated with flowers, mango leaves, etc and tied at the top of a long bamboo. The day of Gudi Padwa also celebrates the victory of Maratha warriors in processions. This article provide some significant details related to Gudi Padwa 2024 like date, celebration, practices, traditions, etc.

Gudi Padwa 2024

Festival	Gudi Padwa 2024
Also known as	Marathi New Year
Date	9 April 2024
Day	Tusday

Gudi Padwa 2024 Date

The day on which Gudi Padwa will be observed is calculated according to Luni-Solar calendar. Luni-Solar calendar uses position of the Moon and the Sun to divide the year into months and days. As per this calendar, is observed on the first day of the Chaitra month. Calculated according to it, Gudi Padwa 2024 will fall on 9th April 2024.

Significance of Gudi Padwa

It is believed that Gudi padwa was the day on which Lord Brahma began the creation of the universe and so it marks the beginning of a new period every year. It also signifies the arrival of spring and is associated with reaping of Rabi crops. In rural areas, people carry Gudhi kavads to Shiva temple as they dedicate this day to Lord Shiva. The day also symbolizes the victory of good (Lord Rama) over evil (Ravana).

How to celebrate Gudi Padwa?

People get up early on Gudi Padwa and begin the day with cleaning their houses and plastering it with cow dung (especially in rural areas) as cow dung is considered as holy. Once all the cleaning is done, they take a bath and wear clean clothes after which the decoration starts. People decorate their house with flowers, mango and neem leaves and draw rangoli designs at the entrance of their homes. Since the festival is associated with spring, vibrant colors and designs are used while making rangoli.

A special dish is prepared on the day of Gudi Padwa that consists of mixed flavors just like Pacchadi made on the occasion of Ugadi. It reminds people that life has different flavors and they must accept all the flavors as altogether they make life beautiful. Preparing Shrikhand and Poori or Puran Poli on Gudi Padwa is also a very famous practice.

Making & Significance of the Guḍhi

The main attraction of the Gudi Padwa festival is making Gudhi and hoisting it in front of houses. It is believed that hoisting a Gudhi eliminates all the evil and brings home happiness, prosperity and good luck. Gudhi is made from a colorful piece of cloth, usually a scarf-like silk cloth, that is tied on the top of a long bamboo plant. The Gudhi is decorated with flowers and leaves and a pot made of silver, bronze or copper (also known as handi) is placed on the top of this arrangement. This pot signifies the victory of good over evil. Other than this, Gudhi has much more significance. For example, Gudhi is also called as Brahmadhvaj (flag of Brahma) and its hoisting represents the day on which the universe was created. The Gudhi also symbolizes the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana and is believed that when he returned home after this victory and spending fourteen years in the forest, people of Ayodhya welcomed him by hoisting Gudhi on their house.

Festivals similar to Gudi Padwa 2024

Just like Gudi Padwa is a new year festival celebrated in Maharashtra, new year festivals are celebrated in different parts of the country as well that are known by different names.