Celebrating Ugadi in all its wholeness

There is far more to Ugadi or Yugadi as it is also called, than the customary offerings of sweet, sour, salt, pungent, and bitter flavours, to ring in the season. The meaning behind the culture and cuisine of Ugadi traces its origins to centuries-old sacred works, says Arathi VB, a vocalist, who holds an MA in Carnatic classical music and a PhD in Sanskrit. 

“Nature is never seen as just a resource in India, but rather a manifestation of the Divine. Therefore, we celebrate every cyclic transition or change in nature as a divine blessing and observe seasonal festivals such as Ugadi, Sharan-navaratra, Deepavali, Sankranti, Ratha Saptami and Holi, as well as the purnimas and amavasyas. They rejuvenate our spirits, strengthen our social bonds and remind us of the blessings that come through Nature,” says Arathi.

Arathi, born and brought up in Bengaluru, was exposed to these areas from a tender age. “My parents were active participants and volunteers in organising satsangs bhajans, discourses, cultural and literary activities and services to the needy. I grew up in an atmosphere of learning, yearning to discover the original kavya-shastras for a direct comprehension of our desha and dharma. Sanksrit became the tool for that,” she says.

Arathi, who pursued her learning of shastras, kavyas, agamas and Vedanta from scholars such as N Ranganatha Sharma, R Ganesh, Vijayalakshmi, KS Kannan, Tyagali R Sharma, and others, says, “I initially learnt classical music from my mother and later on, from Pankaja Ramachandra and TS Satyavathi.  Historical figures such as Chanakya, Vidyaranya, Vivekananda and Shivaji, apart from kings, queens, scholars, yogis and philanthropists have inspired me to work for the cause of desha and dharma.”

Arathi spoke on the relevance of Ugadi. Excerpts:

Neem leaves, raw mangoes, flowers, and fruits, being sold on the eve of Ugadi | Photo Credit: MURALI KUMAR K

Most Indian festivals are rututsavs (seasonal festivals). The foremost of them is Ugadi, the pan-Indian New Year. For Indians, the conclusion of the old year as well as the beginning of the new year, must both coincide with spring celebrations.

Hence, we celebrate two Ugadis — one is the souramana-yugadi, based on the solar calendar that follows the cycle of the 27 nakshastras. The second is the Chandramana-yugadi based on the lunar calendar and follows the cycle of the bright and dark fortnights created by the waxing and waning of the moon. The two calendars supplement each other to ascertain time and astronomical predictions. 

Arathi VB | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Like most festivals, Ugadi too, has two dimensions — the vrata (vows) and utsava (celebrations). While vrata is for self-introspection, puja, charity and service to others. Utsava is about social bonding — greeting, exchanging gifts, feasting, music, dance, processions, games etc.

There are regional variations to Ugadi celebrations, though it is quite common to see the rising sun and seek blessings from Surya and Bhumi, followed by puja and the feeding of cattle. People conclude their vrata by consuming prasada. 

In southern Karnataka, a mixture of bevu-bella (neem and jaggery) is consumed. People prepare a variety of dishes as per regional customs and enjoy a Sahabhojana or feast with friends and family. Sesame and jaggery are the key ingredients in eatables or beverages, and a variety of dishes prepared with raw and ripe mangoes are quite common, all over the country.

The evenings are marked with song, dance, drama, harikatha, processions, native games and sports, and acts of charity. Panchanga-shravana or listening to the almanac being read aloud in the evening is one of the highlights of Ugadi.

In Karnataka, the day after Ugadi is celebrated as hosa-tadaku, where non-vegetarian dishes are consumed by those who wish to. In pre-colonial times, under royal patronage, Ugadi celebrations lasted for 15 days culminating with Chitra-Purnima.

Vasanthotsava was the grandest public celebration in India for ages, going on for three months at a stretch, till British rule put an end to it. Descriptions of Vasantotsava are seen in the Ramayana, Mahabharata and other classical literary works. The living traditions of folk and tribal traditions, all allude to Vasanthotsava in some way or the other. Despite restrictions and the discontinuation of royal patronage, Vasanthotsava celebrations continued with the support of common people.

Ugadi, a part of theVasanthotsava has long been a platform for fine arts. Many texts, sculptures and living traditions explicitly document this. The beautiful Vasanta-mantapa galleries in ancient temples and okali-hondas (huge stone tubs used for mass colour spraying) and sculptural depictions speak a lot about the great scale of celebrations.

Every year, poets and artists presented their latest  compositions during this season, and were duly honoured and rewarded by rulers, as well as the public. Texts such as the Kamasutram, Lalitavistara, Ratnavali and others, describe the crowds of men and women of all communities participating with joy, and the distribution of snacks and drinks for all.

Bevu-bella comprises a mixture of jaggery and neem leaves, sometimes served with grated slivers of maavu (raw mango). The sweetness of jaggery and bitterness of neem leaves represent the joys and sorrows of life. The experiences of pleasure and sadness progressively make us tougher and wiser in our journey.

Consuming a mixture of bevu-bella symbolises one’s mental preparation to face life with optimism. For both worldly success and spiritual elevation, we need a balanced mind that can keep calm, strong and cheerful amidst turbulences that come our way.

Dandamudi Sumathi Rama Mohan Rao | Photo Credit: Neem leaves, raw mangoes, flowers, and fruits, being sold on the eve of Ugadi

Neem leaves, raw mangoes, flowers, and fruits, being sold on the eve of Ugadi | Photo Credit: MURALI KUMAR K