Ugadi 2021: Celebrations in various parts of Karnataka

Ugadi marks the start of the new year and is the first festival in the cycle of nature as it indicates the beginning of nature’s annual cycle.

Watching the moon in the evening hours is one of the most popular practices linked with Ugadi celebrations in various parts of Karnataka such as Tumakuru and Chitradurga. People wait for the moon to come up, they watch the moon in the belief that sides of the moon are linked to the harvest of the season. If the upper side of the moon is visible, it believed that the harvest will be good and the lower side indicates that the harvest will be average.

In Kanakpura, people call the sides of the moon as horns and name each side as golden and rice horns. The position of the horn indicates which side will be expensive.

In Southern Karnataka, Ugadi is a three-day festival.

On day 1, house cleaning is done and this is known as Musure habba.

The second day is celebrated by distributing bevu-bella (neem and jaggery preparation), traditional dishes are cooked and people wear new clothes on this day.

On the last day of Ugadi, a team of people in the village go out symbolically hunting and prepare non-vegetarian food.

Ugadi is also marked by taking an oil bath in hot water dipped in neem leaves.

In the Nippani region of Karnataka, Ugadi is known as Gudi Padwa festival, due to the influence of the Marathi people.

On this day people fix a wooden pole in front of their houses and place a copper pot on its top and tie neem leaves, gathi and decorate it with a red or saffron cloth.

Ugadi is celebrated with various traditions and rituals but the festival spirit remains the same throughout the state, marking the beginning of a New Year.