Ugadi & Gudi Padwa (Hindu New Year) 2026 Date – 19 March

The start of a new year

In the lunar (chandramana) calendar followed in much of the Deccan and western India, the year begins on Pratipada, the first lunar day of the bright fortnight of Chaitra. Tradition holds that Brahma began creation on this day, and the Shalivahana Shaka era begins its year now. The name Ugadi comes from yuga + adi – the beginning of an age. In North India the same day opens the Vikram Samvat year and Chaitra Navratri.

Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra

In Maharashtra and Goa (where it is Samvatsar Padvo), every home raises a gudi at the entrance or a window: a bamboo pole topped with a bright silk cloth, neem and mango leaves, a garland of flowers and a sugar-crystal garland (gathi), crowned with an upturned copper or silver pot. It is seen as a flag of victory – some link it to Rama's return to Ayodhya, others to the victories of the Shalivahana king or the Marathas. Shobha yatras in traditional dress fill the streets of Mumbai, Pune and Thane. Puran poli and shrikhand are the festive dishes.

Ugadi pachadi: six tastes of life

In Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the day begins with an oil bath, mango-leaf torans over doors and rangoli. Families then eat Ugadi pachadi (bevu-bella in Karnataka), a mixture with six tastes – neem flowers (bitter), jaggery (sweet), tamarind (sour), raw mango (tangy), salt and pepper or chilli (hot) – a reminder that the year will bring every kind of experience and that all should be accepted. Holige or obbattu (bobbatlu), a sweet flatbread stuffed with lentils and jaggery, is the main festive dish.

Panchanga Shravanam

In the evening, families and temples gather for Panchanga Shravanam, the reading of the new year's almanac by a priest or astrologer. It sets out the name of the new samvatsara (one of a cycle of sixty), the expected rainfall and harvest, and forecasts for each zodiac sign.

The same day elsewhere

• Sindhi community – Cheti Chand, the birth of Jhulelal, usually on or a day after this date.
• Kashmir – Navreh, when Kashmiri Pandits view a thali of rice, walnuts, flowers, a mirror and the new panchang first thing in the morning.
• Manipur – Sajibu Nongma Panba, the Meitei new year.
• North India – Ghatasthapana for Chaitra Navratri.

Ugadi & Gudi Padwa (Hindu New Year) puja samagri (what you need)

• Bamboo pole and bright silk cloth (for the gudi)
• Copper, brass or silver kalash to place upside down on the gudi
• Neem and mango leaves
• Flower garland and a sugar-crystal garland (gathi)
• Neem flowers, jaggery, tamarind and raw mango for Ugadi pachadi
• Haldi, kumkum and akshat
• Rangoli colours
• New clothes
• Diya and incense
• The new year's panchang

How to do Ugadi & Gudi Padwa (Hindu New Year) puja, step by step

1. Wake early, take an oil bath and wear new clothes.
2. Hang mango-leaf torans at the door and draw rangoli.
3. In Maharashtra, assemble the gudi and raise it at the right side of the entrance or a window, then worship it with haldi, kumkum and flowers.
4. Worship the family deity and the new panchang.
5. Eat the Ugadi pachadi or neem-jaggery mix before breakfast.
6. Prepare puran poli, holige or another festive meal and visit elders.
7. In the evening, listen to the Panchanga Shravanam for the new year.