The joyous festival of Ugadi is here and people in both the Telugu states are all celebrating Ugadi-Telugu New Year with immense festive fervour. Celebrated on the first day of the Hindu calendar month of Chaitra and marks the beginning of a new year for the people of Andhra Pradesh. 

The specialty of the Ugadi festival lies in its significance, customs, and rituals associated with it. Priests at Sankar Matam temple say “It is considered a very auspicious day to begin new ventures, projects, investments, and anything new.”

People wake up before sunrise and start the day with a holy oil bath, usually with sesame oil, early in the morning and wear new clothes. One can see colourful rangoli in floral designs, as a mark of festivity outside the people’s home and the fresh green mango leaves called Thorana hang at the main entrance, doors and windows.  “Mango leaves signify prosperity,” says Renuka, an entrepreneur who insists on maintaining traditional customs.  

Followed by prayers, people savour Ugadi Pachhadi,  made with jaggery, neem flowers, mango pieces, and tamarind, which culminate in a medley of tastes — sour, sweet, and bitter — that reflect the multi-layered experiences of life’s beauty.  

“We celebrate with high spirits, this festival ushers in a season of freshness and brightness. like most Hindu spring festivals, is a time for new beginnings, as the longer and brighter days invigorate and inspire hope for prosperous growth in one’s work, relationships, and spiritual practices says Risha, a housewife from Seethammadhara.  

Dharma Rao, retired central excise inspector says “As usual, our entire family go to the Vemana Mandiram for special prayers and, for Panchanga Sravanam (Reading of Almanac). 

NSR Prabhakar Varma, Director of Sarvani Sweets said “We launched Ugadi theme-based sweet boxes, wherein one can find best wishes and sense the touch of family bonding in a traditional attire serving the festive dish that is unique to the culinary culture of the Telugu people.” 

Speaking to Hello Vizag, Anant Lakshmi, a homemaker said, “Special dishes are prepared for the occasion as it is the time when the family gets together. We prepare sweet dishes such as ‘Poornam Boorelu, ‘bobbatlu’, Bellam Garelu and Semiya Payasam.

The special delicacy of the festive day will be Mamidikaya Pulihora (raw mango rice) is a seasonal preparation, as green mangos start being available during this time of the year. 

“We blindly adhere to the custom of not eating mangoes before Ugadi, and thus this is the day when we taste mangoes from the new season for the first time. For us, this rice preparation with grated or chopped mangos, chana dal, peanuts, and green chilies with a hint of asafoetida is perhaps the first mango preparation to be enjoyed during the season said Lakshmi Gayatri, Milk Vendor of Madhurawava.

Also, women get busy making several different mango preparations including pickles as raw mangoes are available in plenty for two months – April and June, she added.

Anusha, a college student, who likes to wear a half saree with jasmine flowers and gorintaaku (henna) says “it’s time for bonding. “I always look forward to Ugadi as my extended family gets together on this day. It's really exciting as cousin sisters and friends are around. We relish the various dishes prepared in our home including Obbatulu, she says.

Finally, Saraswati, a teacher says, “the bitter taste of neem reminds us of the tough times and challenges in life and the sweet taste of jaggery the progress that results from such challenges. Also, It is a thanksgiving festival that asks you to be grateful to Mother Earth so the ingredients we use like tamarind, jaggery, salt and chana dal are new and fresh.”