Ugadi 2020: Why Is Cow Dung Used To Clean Floor During This Festival

People usually used cow dung to clean their houses during the pre-Ugadi preparations in the old days. Read this informative article to know why this tradition was followed.

By Debdatta Mazumder

Tuesday, March 10, 2020, 12:46

In India, there is no end to festivals, occasions and celebrations. There are several states in India and each has its own festivals. May be the names are different, but the meaning or heart of such festivals are more or less the same. One such type of a festival is Ugadi that is celebrated in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. This year the festival will be celebrated on 25 March.

Basically, Ugadi is the south Indian festival of welcoming the New Year, which is celebrated as 'Poila Boisakh' in Bengal or 'Gudi Padwa' in Maharashtra.

According to the Hindu luni-solar calendar, Ugadi is celebrated on the first day of Chaitra Masam, as it symbolizes the beginning of the Kannada New Year. People wear new clothes, clean their house and hang 'torans' made of flowers and mango leaves.

During Ugadi, people used to clean their houses with cow dung. Today, the modernists may frown at this practice, but there are really certain advantages of using cow dung at home, not only during Ugadi but also during other occasions.

The use of cow dung on floors and walls is popular in rural areas. This practice is not only restricted to South India, but also in other parts. So, would you want to know the importance of using cow dung to clean the floors of your house? Then, continue reading.

It Is Auspicious:

Ugadi is the festival of a new beginning, when people want to purify themselves and start a new journey of life. Cow dung is regarded as an auspicious substance and is used in several rituals of Hinduism. That's why people used to clean their houses with cow dung on Ugadi.

Cow Is the Holy Creature

As per Hinduism, Cow is regarded as the holiest animal and it is considered as ‘Gow Mata'. That's why, cow dung and cow urine are regarded as holy and are used in various religious festivals like Ugadi to purify the surrounding.

Good For Health

Urban people may complain about the foul smell, but recent researches have shown that it has certain objects that can kill bacteria and is good for human health. So, there is nothing wrong in making your house bacteria free this Ugadi, right?

Acts As A Pesticide

Apart from religious reasons, here is another scientific one on why you can use cow dung to clean the floors on Ugadi.
It has been noticed from many years that cow dung works as a protective shield against small insects like scorpions, caterpillars and other centipedes.

Good With Weather Change:

Ugadi is celebrated when the hot summer is commencing. Another significance of coating floors with cow dung is that it keeps your house cooler during summer and warmer at winter. Natural AC, we must say!

Mosquito Repellent:

In the rural areas, mosquitoes are a real problem. And Ugadi is celebrated during the season change when insects, mosquitoes, etc., come out from their hiding. So, applying cow dung on the floors in Ugadi is not only a mere ritual, but it also keeps mosquitoes away.

So, these are the reasons on why cow dung is used to clean the floor in Ugadi.