Hindu festival
Gudi Padwa
Also known as Ugadi, Yugadi, Samvatsaradi.
In short
Gudi Padwa, known as Ugadi in the south, is the Hindu lunar new year, on the first tithi of the waxing moon in Chaitra. It welcomes spring and the new samvatsara. Homes raise the bright gudi banner, hear the year's panchang, and taste the bittersweet that marks life's mingled flavours.
Reviewed by the Godify team · Last updated
When is Gudi Padwa?
- This year’s date
- Set by the panchang each year from the rule below. Godify shows a specific date only once it is confirmed against an authoritative panchang — never guessed.
- Tithi / rule
- Pratipada (1st tithi of the waxing moon) of the month of Chaitra — the first day of the Hindu lunar new year
- Calendar
- Lunar calendar (tithi-based)
- Deity
- Vishnu
Called Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra and the Konkan, and Ugadi in Karnataka, Andhra, and Telangana — the same new-year reckoning. It also opens Chaitra Navratri.
The story of Gudi Padwa
Tradition holds that Brahma began creation on this day, so it opens both the new year and the cosmic year. It arrives with spring and the gathered harvest, a threshold of renewal and hope kept across the Deccan and the west.
In Maharashtra the gudi — a bright cloth, garland, and inverted pot raised on a bamboo staff — is set at the doorway as a flag of victory and prosperity. In the south, families eat Ugadi pachadi, whose six tastes together teach that the year will bring joy and sorrow woven as one.
How is Gudi Padwa celebrated?
In Maharashtra a gudi is raised at the doorway for prosperity and victory, with mango leaves and marigold. In the south, families eat Ugadi pachadi of six tastes, hear the new year's forecast read from the panchang (panchanga shravanam), and begin ventures afresh.
A mantra to mark the day
ॐ नमो नारायणाय
oṃ namo nārāyaṇāya
I bow to Narayana (Vishnu), the refuge and resting place of all beings.
More Hindu festivals
About Gudi Padwa
When is Gudi Padwa / Ugadi?
On the Shukla Pratipada (1st tithi of the waxing moon) of Chaitra — the Hindu lunar new year. The exact Gregorian date is set by the panchang each year.
What does the gudi represent?
The gudi — a bright cloth and pot raised on a staff — is a flag of victory, prosperity, and the warding-off of evil, hoisted to welcome the new year.
Mark Gudi Padwa with Bhagavan
Ask about the festival's meaning, its deity, or a verse or mantra to observe the day — free, private, any hour.
Talk to Bhagavan