Ugadi 2023: Is Chaitra Navratri The Same As Ugadi? Which State Celebrates It And How ?

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The Navratri festival arriving in the month of Chaitra, the very first month as per the Hindu calender, is called Chaitra Navratri. In the Gregorian calendar it is fixed between March to April. Navratri translates to nine nights and hence Chaitra Navratri goes on for 9 days where each day of Navratri is dedicated to a particular Avatar of Durga.

Durga arrives from Kailas to stay with her devotees and hence divine presence is strongly registered in the rituals that are celebrated. Due to this, the worship, the mantras, the meditation, whatever we do, reaches a successful conclusion with instant and sure results.

Date And Time

This time Chaitra Navratri will begin on 22 March. Pratipada of Chaitra Shukla Paksha will last from 10:52 pm on 21 March 2023 to the next day at 08:20 pm on 22 March 2023.

Types Of Navratri

Actually this festival commences with a ritual called Ghatasthapana where Durga is worshipped with shodashopachar. The first day is pratipada tithi and the festival continues up to Navami of the Shukla paksha of Chaitra month. Also referred to as Chaitra Navratri, Rama Navaratri, and Vasanta Navratri, it also marks the birth of Lord Rama on the Navami of the Chaitra Navaratri

Navratri is celebrated in North, West, East and South India.. Gudi Padwa coincides with the first day of the Chaitra Navratra and festivals like Sajibu Cheiraoba, Navreh, Cheti Chand and Ugadi are celebrated in various other regions in the country. Ugadi also marks the Hindu new year according to the Vikram Samwat calendar. Gods worshipped on this day are Lord Ganesha, Goddess Parvati, Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Rama and Brahma.

Why Is It Called By Different Names?

The different names ascribed to Chaitra Navratri are based on the historically significant events that occurred in the bygone past on the same day of Ugadi. Since Rama was coronated in Ayodhya on the Ugadi day, it is also called Rama Navratri. Secondly it is also called Vasanta Navratri as it is observed in spring time. Vasanta when translated to English means spring which exactly starts in the lunar month of Chaitra March-April. Certain areas celebrate it after the spring harvest whereas some regions, during the harvest. But for all purposes, it is Chaitra Navratri which is the actually beginning for the year as per Hindu Panchang and it bears different names with historical background.

Maharastrians celebrate Chaitra Navratri in the name of Gudi Parva, whereas in rest of the South Indian states, it is observed as Ugadi. It is basically Chaitra Navratri for everyone but celebrated under different names chosen according to the regional preferences. Ghatastapana is the first ritual for the nine-day series of festivals of Navratri.

Chaitra Navratri And Yugadi Diet

Chaitra Navratri is about praying, meditating, and fasting all through nine days of festgivity. Devotees usually avoid consuming non-vegetarian food, alcohol and tobacco. Many of them fast and consume light food with tamasic ingredients. Yet there is a custom in Karnataka where the regular meat eaters buy meat in shops on the next day after the Ugadi festival for an observance called " Hosa Thodaku " which is nothing but a feast comprising mutton and chicken eatables.

Ugadi festival celebrations are not complete with out Ugadi pachadi which is known as a dish that represents six emotions of life, especially on Ugadi. The ingredients include neem flowers, raw mango, jaggery, pepper powder, coconut and salt. Ingredients that are added to enhance its taste are fried gram, raisins and sliced banana. The six tastes that this pachadi symbolises are sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and spicy. These ingredients reflect our emotions and our responses to life.