Ugadi is celebrated by Karnatakans, Maratis, and Telugu-speaking people in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. To these people, Ugadi marks the beginning of the new year. Ugadi is derived from the Sanskrit words Yuga, which means age, and Adi, which means beginning; so, literally, it is the beginning of the new age. Ugadi falls on a different day each year, generally in March and occasionally in April, because Hindus follow the lunar calendar. This year, Ugadi is on April 11.

This festival is mainly observed by the people gathering at the nearest local temple, and the priest reading the Panchangam, or the almanac of the new year, informing people of how their fortune for the year will turn our based on each individual's lunar star sign. Also on this day, a couple special dishes are made. One of these dishes is Bobbatlu, as seen below:


It looks like a roti, but the inside contains jaggery (cane sugar), which was boiled and made into a paste. It is generally eaten with ghee or milk. The other dish that is served is called Ugadi Pachadi. It is a mix of various flavors, in a soup. Each flavor represents a different feeling experienced in a person's life. The ingredients include: Neem buds for bitterness and to signify sadness, Jaggery and ripe Banana for sweetness and to signify happiness, Pepper for a hot taste which signifies anger, Salt for saltiness which signifies fear, Tamarind Juice for a sour taste which signifies disgust, and unripened mangoes for tanginess and to signify surprise. This dish can be seen below:

By,
Sunny Narra