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The Hindu Festivals

Indian Festivals      Kalnirnay.com

Gudi Padwa 

The Maharashtrians celebrate Gudi padwa on first day of the Chaitra month. Day welcome the New Year with this festival, which heralds the coming of Spring. There is great rejoicing on this day and apart from the usual rituals like drawing the rangoli, they have a custom of eating the bittersweet leaves of the neem tree on this day. They usually make a paste of neem leaves, ajwain, tamarind, gul and jaggery, this paste is supposed to purify the blood and strengthen the immune system.

The people of Maharashtra have the traditional gudis hanging out of their windows on this day. The Gudi is a pole with a brass or a silver vessal placed on the top. These poles are covered with silk and flowers like marigold. Mango leaves and coconuts are tied to it.The Gudi's hanging out of the windows symbolise nature's bounty. In Maharashtra, Gudi Padwa is linked to that state’s valorous history, and honors their favorite leader Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. On this special day, many households in the state raise the “gudi” or the “victory standard” made up of a pole with an upturned metal pot surrounded by folds of silk fabric, mango leaves, and marigolds. This “gudi” is erected at sunrise and removed at sunset.

Traditionally, families are supposed to begin the festivities by eating the bittersweet leaves of the neem tree. Sometimes, a paste of neem leaves is prepared and mixed with ajwain, gul, tamarind and jaggery. All the members of the family consume this paste, which is believed to purify the blood and strengthen the body’s immune system against diseases