Ugadi 2007

Ugaadi is the name commonly used for the Hindu New Year. This year it comes on March 20th, (Tuesday). According to the lunar calendar it comes on the first day (Paadyami) in the month Chaitra. There are 60 years in the calendar cycle and the names are repeated again after 60 years. This year is called the Sarvajit Naama Ugaadi. "Sarva" means all, "Jit" means victory. Let us pray that we become victorious in everything from individual to the entire universe in all endeavors.

Names of the Years
Naarada was a brahmachaari. Through Vishnu Maaya he becomes a woman and falls in love with a sage and conceives 60 girls. As a mother Naarada develops attachment to all these 60 girls and he loses them all in a war. Disheartened Naarada takes a dip in the Ganges River after the death of the girls and attains his original state. He seeks a boon from Vishnu that the girls’ names should be immortal. Therefore all the years were named after them, and all the names are feminine. The first name starts with "Prabhava" and the last name ends with "Akshaya". The current year Sarva Jit is the 21st among the 60 names.

Significance
The story that is associated with the festival is "Manmadha Dahanam". Manmadha (God of Love) tries to spoil the penance of Shiva with his arrows of love and to help Uma (Girija) win Shiva. Manmadha was proud of his works of instilling amorous feelings by his very presence in nature as the beauty and scents or fragrance enhances bonding. Instead, angry Shiva gets up disturbed from his penance and burns Manmadha to ashes. His wife Rati, an ardent devotee prays to Shiva and gets a boon from Shiva that at the time of Girija and Shiva Kalyaanam, Manmadha (cupid) would come back to life. Therefore Ugadi is also a "Vasanta Navaraatri" a happy celebration of the return of Manmadha, who spreads his beauty in the Nature and helps replicate the creation.

The flowers that we adore and smell, decorate and garland are the boons of God through Manmadha. The 9 days function concludes with Sri Rama Navami, the celebration of Sri Rama’s birthday, Pattabhishekam and the Kalyanam. Both the legends show how the pride destroys the self, righteousness wins the evil and reinstates peace, happiness and prosperity. Intense devotion of Rati brought Manmadha back, but for the bigger cause of preserving the beauty in Nature. Thus the spiritual meaning of all festivals is Victory over evil through good nature and righteous conduct. Faith and Devotion are behind the success.

Spiritual Significance
We acknowledge the presence of God in the Individual and the Universe. We revere that the time is GOD as we recite "Yugaavad yugakritya" (Vishnu Sahasram) and adore him as Kalaaya Namaha, Kaala-Kaalaaya namha, Kaaldarpa Damanaaya Namaha, and Vishnu is Alankaara Priya. "Ahameva Akshaya Kaalaha" (I am the eternal Time). Vishnu also means that energy that pervades everything, the minutest subatomic particle to the mightiest mountain.

Ugaadi Chutney
The householders acknowledge that they are starting a whole new year with whole new aspirations. The houses are cleaned, adorned with festoons of greenery like Mango leaves, nice foods, sweets are made and feast is enjoyed with special chutney, "UGAADI PACHADI": It has 6 flavors "Shad Ruchulu"

Neem buds or flowers (bitter)
New Jaggery (sweet)
New Tamarind (tart)
New Raw Mango (sour)
Green Pepper (hot)
A little salt

What is Chaandra maana and Sauramaana?
When the years are calculated as per the lunar movement, it is called Chaandra maana (or lunar) calendar. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Kashmir follow Chaandra maana calendar. Whereas solar movement (Saura maana) is used in Kerala and Tamil Nadu and they start their new year at a later day. In Kerala the New Year is called "Vishu". Maharashtrians call New Year as "Gudi Padwa". The Gudi, Brahma’s flag (Brahmadhwaj) is hoisted in every house as a symbolic representation of victory and happiness.

The name Ugaadi is derived from Yugam. The beginning of Yugam (Yugaaniki aadi) is Yugaadi. Overtime this has been used every year in the Yugam. According to the Hindu calendar there are four Yugas: Krita Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvaapara Yuga and Kali Yuga.

1. Krita Yuga - dhyana (meditation) 1,728,000 years

2. Treta Yuga - yajna (sacrifice) 1,296,000 years

3. Dvaapara Yuga - archana (worship) 864,000 years

4. Kali Yuga - daana (alms) 432,000 years

In every day life we live in satwa, rajo and tamo gunas and also in different yugas. 4 AM -12 noon is Satwa Guna time and during this period we live in Krita Yugam; 12 noon – 6 PM is Rajo Guna time and during this time we live in Treta Yugam; 6 PM – 12 Midnight we live in Rajo Guna and during this time we live in Dvaapara Yugam and from 12 Midnight – 4 AM we live in Tamo Guna and Kali Yugam.

Source: E-mail from the Hindu Temple of San Antonio