Thousands in traditional attire join Girgaon’s Gudi Padwa procession, performing vibrant ringan celebrations. | FPJ Photo/ Vijay Gohil
Sunday was one of the most auspicious and joyous days as it marked multiple festivals including new years for many communities. While the Maharashtrians celebrated Gudi Padwa on Sunday, the Telugu and Kannada speakers celebrated Ugadi and the Sindhis celebrated Cheti Chand with the Hindu community celebrating the first day of Chaitra Navratri.
The first day of Chaitra month in Hindu calendar is celebrated across communities as a new year. Especially in Maharashtra, it marks Gudi Padwa for the Marathi-speaking community, which is the first day of the new year. Similarly, the Sindhi community celebrated Cheti Chand, which is the community’s biggest annual festival and the Telugu and Kannada speaking community celebrated their new year Ugadi.
Thousands in traditional attire join Girgaon’s Gudi Padwa procession, performing vibrant ringan celebrations. | FPJ Photo/ Vijay Gohil
Thousands in traditional attire join Girgaon’s Gudi Padwa procession, performing vibrant ringan celebrations. | FPJ Photo/ Vijay Gohil
Kids perfoming during Girgaon’s Gudi Padwa procession | FPJ Photo/ Vijay Gohil
Thousands in traditional attire join Girgaon’s Gudi Padwa procession, performing vibrant ringan celebrations. | FPJ Photo/ Vijay Gohil
Like every year, the biggest attraction for Gudi Padwa was the grand shobhayatras that were held across the city. Traditional shobhayatra was held in Vile Parle, commencing from Parleshwar Mahadev temple. Dadar’s Shivaji Park was transformed into a multifaceted celebration hub with lezim dances, dhol tasha pathaks and grand rangolis. Similarly, the all-women bikers became the centre of attraction at Girgaon’s shobhayatra. Similar shobhayatras were also held in Thane and Dombivali.
The Siddhivinayak Temple in Dadar offered 225 gold and silver items, including jewelry, replicas of modaks, idols and lockets, in auction on the occasion of Gudi Padwa. Mumbadevi Temple in Zaveri Bazar organised its annual ‘Gudi Padwa’ celebration with ghatasthapana of Chaitra Navratri to mark the beginning of the nine-day long festival.
The Sindhi community observed the festival with great zeal by lighting lamps representing Vairana Sahib in their homes and Jhulelal temples and distributed Taheri ka prasad consisting of sweet rice made with jaggery and chana. The Bharatiya Sindhu Sabha organised festive events across the city, including a large gathering ‘Cheti Chand Jo Melo’ at Khar Gymkhana.
The Hindu community hailing from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and some parts of Goa celebrated Ugadi by decorating their homes with rangoli and mango leaf torans, giving out charity, visiting temples and feasting on pachadi, a festive food that combines all kinds of flavours. The community members met at the Bombay Andhra Gymkhana in Dadar for an evening of cultural entertainment and Andhra-style feast.
The Sikh community will celebrate Baisakhi on April 13, the Assamese, Malayali and Tamil communities will celebrate the beginning of their new years Bohag Bihu, Vishu and Puthandu respectively on April 14. Similarly, the Bengali community will celebrate Pohela Boisakh on April 15.
