Ugadi is the lunar New Year's Day for the people of the Telugu and Kannada communities in India.. According to tradition, on this day Lord Brahma created the universe and is believed to have written everyone’s fate. This is why the festival marks the beginning of a new year.
The date of Ugadi is based on calculations of the position of the moon dating back to 12th century. The festival begins on the first new moon after the Spring Equinox and is celebrated the next morning as an Indian day starts from sunrise.
People prepare special dishes such as “Pachadi” on this day. People also wake up before sunrise, take oil baths and decorate their houses. A special dish made prepared during Ugadi is Bevu Bella, a paste made from jaggery (sugar), neem buds, tamarind juice and raw mango.
The festival marks a public holiday in states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, while in Maharashtra it is known as Gudipadawa. Preparations for Ugadi begin a week in advance and include customs common to many spring festivals such as house cleaning and buying new clothes
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