Gudi Padwa leads Hindu new year festivities; nationalistic fervour on display

MUMBAI: A colourful palette of Hindu new year festivals led by the Maharashtrian celebration of Gudi Padwa unfolded across the city Thursday. Grand parades were led in Girgaum and Dombivli whose theme centred around the 150th anniversary of the nationalistic song 'Vande Mataram'.

Individual households hoisted the Gudi in their balconies or windows and served shrikhand and puranpoli. Natives of Andhra, Telangana and Karnataka cheered Ugadi Thursday while the Sindhis will enjoy Cheti Chand Friday.

Shreedhar Agarkar, president of the Swami Vivekanand Yuva Pratishthan which organises the Girgaum parade, said, "This was the 24th year of our procession and we focused on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram. The event began at 8.00 am with the Gudi pujan ceremony at Phadke Shri Ganpati Mandir. A 20-ft tall statue of Veer Savarkar held the Gudi in its hand." This year's highlight was a display of Maharashtra’s award winning Republic Day tableau.


Mumbadevi and Mahalakshmi, indeed all temples dedicated to the Mother Goddess, rose early to launch the nine-day Chaitra Navratra with the ghatsthapna ceremony. This observance will culminate on Ram Navami.


Sri Sankara Mattham, Matunga, will conduct daily hom (fire sacrifice) and offer free food to devotees through Navratri. Nearby the 300-year-old Marubai Gavdevi Mandir will conduct multiple puja rituals each day and bhajan sessions in the evening, said chairman Anil Gavand.


All communities issue the annual almanac on Chaitra pratipada (Gudi Padwa). The Kedia Sabha released two panchangs prepared by Pt Bharat Bhushan Mishra at a special ceremony in Goregaon. "This year signals the start of Vikram Samvat 2083 and Shakti Samvat 1948," Mishra said.


In Dombivli city, a 3-km-long shobha yatra continued a 27-year-old Padwa legacy helmed by the Ganesh Mandir Sansthan along with Navvarsh Swagat Yatra Coordination Committee. BJP state president Ravindra Chavan and Kalyan Lok Sabha MP Shrikant Shinde joined the procession featuring a 'Vande Mataram' float.


One tableau depicted development projects in Kalyan Lok Sabha constituency including the proposed double-decker transport corridor. Spectators marvelled at a replica of the Khidkali Shiv temple that is undergoing beautification, a super-speciality hospital in Ulhasnagar, Sant Sawalaram Maharaj Mhatre Sports Complex and Warkari Bhavan.


The Persian New Year of Jamshedi Nowruz also falls this weekend Mar 21. Agiaries are disseminating messages on social media inviting people to special prayers. Muslim Iranians will celebrate Nowruz with baklava, sherbet and ethnic sweets from Iranian Sweet Palace in Bhendi Bazaar.


Meanwhile the month long fast of Ramzan draws to a close Friday with Eid ul' Fitr expected to fall Saturday March 21.