Holy Ugadi In Prasanthi Nilayam
Tuesday, April 13th, 2021
Today marks the commencement of the Telugu New Year, called Ugadi. Ugadi marks New Year’s Day for Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra. While this festival is known as Ugadi in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, the same is celebrated as Gudi Padva in Maharashtra.
According to Chandramana, the Lunar Calendar, Ugadi comes on the bright fortnight (‘Shukla Paksha’) of the first month (‘Chaitra Masa’) in the first season of the year i.e., spring (‘Vasanta-Ritu’). The word ‘Ugadi’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Ugadi’, which means ‘beginning of a new Yuga or era’. Legend has it that this was the day on which Lord Krishna shed His mortal coil signifying the end of the Dwapara Yuga and the commencement of the Kali Yuga.
“The Kali Yuga (the present era) started in the year Pramadi, the month named Sravana, the fortnight named Bahula, and the day called Ashtami. According to the English Calendar, the same would be described as 20th February, 3102 years before the advent of Christ. In order to bring out this aspect of the commencement of the new Yuga on 20th February 3102 B.C., our ancestors have been calling that day ‘the day of the beginning of a new era’, Ugadi. Since this was the commencing day of a new Yuga, it was called Ugadi. This year is called Plava Nama Samvastara, indicative of the abundance of Wisdom and Knowledge.
Prasanthi Nilayam would always feast the occasion with great festive fervour, with Bhagawan officiating and always attended by thousands from the Telugu and Kannada regions. Every year Bhagawan would bless the occasion with His Divine benedictory discourse. Marking the occasion this morning, Dr K.T.V. Raghavan, Research Officer at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts Regional Centre, Pondicherry (IGNCA), delivered the traditional ‘Panchanga Sravanam’, the astrological predictions for the ensuing year. Bhajans continued, and the session concluded with Mangala Arathi to Bhagawan.
II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II
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