Sunday will mark the New Year for Marathi, Kannada, Sindhi, and Telugu speakers. Marathi speakers will celebrate Gudi Padwa, the first day of the month of Chaitra. The day is believed to be one of the most auspicious days of the year. Maharashtrians pray for prosperity, and Gudi Padwa is a good time to buy property, gold, and vehicles. The day is also the beginning of the Chaitra Navratri festival.
Sindhis will celebrate Cheti Chand, or Chaiti Chand, on the second day of Chaitra Shukla Paksha, or the bright fortnight of the lunar month. The festival, the community’s biggest annual celebration, also commemorates the birth anniversary of Jhulelal, the patron saint of Sindhis. The Bharatiya Sindhu Sabha will organise festive events across the city during the week, including a large gathering, Cheti Chand Jo Melo, at Khar Gymkhana on Sunday.”Our Ishtadevata Jhulelal emerged from the sea on this day. The festival is also an occasion to familiarise our young generation with our culture and language. People love the Sindhi food at the gatherings,” said Kishen Samtani, secretary of the Bharatiya Sindhu Sabha, which has former Deputy Prime Minister of India, L K Advani, as one of the founders. For Telugu and Kannada speakers, the day will be celebrated as Ugadi, or Yug Adi, the first day of the year.
Ramesh Manthena, chairman, Board of Trustees of the Bombay Andhra Mahasabha and Gymkhana, said that Telugu speakers from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh will meet at the gymkhana on Sunday for an evening of cultural entertainment.”Families especially enjoy the Andhra-style feast. We have a cook from Andhra Pradesh to supervise the feast’s preparation. Community associations in Kamathipura and Worli that have Telugu speakers have their events,” said Manthena.
The Shree Mumbadevi Temple at Zaveri Bazar is organising its annual ‘Gudi Padwa Chaitra Navratri festival’ from Sunday with a ghatasthapana or inauguration of the celebrations. There will be a dipotsav in the evening of Panchami day on April 2. Durgashtami will be celebrated on April 5. Ram Navami on April 6 will feature a havan and navchandi mahayagna. Shri Mahavir Jayanti is on April 10 and Shri Hanuman Jayanti on April 12.
