Gayathri Pai's Food Bytes: Special Gudi Padva Thali 24.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Special Gudi Padva Thali 24.

Gudi Padwa / Ugadi is the first Holy Hindu festival which falls on this day ..... April 8, 2016 and marks the beginning of Hindu New Year. On this Auspicious Day ....... Wishing all my friends a Happy And Prosperous Year ahead with Health, Wealth And Happiness .... God Bless All. ....

Here is a special Thali to Mark the beginning of the New Year ..... Jenavaro + Suran Gashi, Bibbo + Tendle Upkari, Dalitoy, Ambuli Nonche, Rice, Madgane, Taaka, Rasvodo, Cauliflower Bajo, Moodo, Kotambari Palle Chutney And Pomegranate ........ Enjoy

Ugadi or Samasar Paadvo is the mark of beginning of a New year for Hindus. 'Uga' means a year and 'Aadi' means beginning. Ugadi is the beginning of the New Lunar Year. Ugadi is celebrated on Chaitra Shuddha Padya. Every samvatsar or year has a name to it and is addressed by that name throught the year. The name of this samvatsar or the year 2016 is "DURMUKHA". Ugadi is called 'Samsaar Paadvo' in Konkani and all Amchies are familier with it. 'Samsaar' means samvastar, the year and 'Paadvo' means Paadava, the first day of the Hindu month, Hence 'Samsaar Padvo' marks the first day ie the beginning of the new year.

Udupi Panchanga (Astrology book for the year) says "Ugadi heralds the beginning of the New Year, new month and new day. It also marks a beginning of new life with plants acquiring new life, shoots and leaves. Chaithra Masa (month) ends the shivering winter season. We see budding tender leaves, blooming flowers and ripening of fruits; listen to chanting and chirping of birds and smell the fragrance of flowers from very long distance. We find happiness booming everywhere. So, the earth will appear in a special delight. Naturally, it is the happiest day of the year. The vibrancy of life and verdant fields and meadows full of colorful blossoms signifies growth, prosperity and well-being."

Konkani Tradition of celebrating Ugadi / Samasar Paadvo.

We Saraswat Konkanies / Amchies celebrate this day with great pomp by preparing many dishes, offering prayers and seeking blessing from elders. This is a very big occasion of celebration for us. New clothes and jewellery is purchased during this time. Children are always thrilled with their new clothes and the goodies they get to eat. Lot of savories are prepared for the occasion some days ahead. It’s a very busy week for the women folk of the house as they spend the afternoons preparing them for the feast to come. Dishes like chakuli, tinglodu, laddoos, burfi etc. are prepared well in advance. But the main dishes are prepared on that day after Sunrise and finishing the bathing and praying rituals.

Kappada Vadapa : There are some more rituals celerbrated or followed during this day in some houses. Vadapa ie. Kappada Vadapa / Saree pooja is one such ritual that is followed by youngster if any elderly married women of that household has left for heavenly abode when Suhagan. Suhagan means that lady who expires before her husband. On the day of Ugadi, the ancestors of the family such women are remembered and a saree along with flowers and haldi kumkum if offered in the name of that women by her Daughter in law. Aarti is shown to this saree and later on the Daughter in law wears the same and seeks blessings of the elders and visits a temple and seeks God’s blessing. This may seem meaningless in today’s day. But I guess it was started with good intention, so that the youngsters start respecting their elders throughout their life and also speaks good about them after death. All the girls and women in the family also offer flowers and kukum to the Tulasi and other Goddesses.

Panchanga Phala PaarayaNa : 'Panchanga' is a holy calendar for the lunar year available in southern Indian Stores. There are many versions such as Udyavar and Krishna panchang. Usually we Amchies follow the Udyavar Panchang. There is but a minute difference in them. . ShravaNa phala, a section of the panchanga that contains predictions for the year is read on this occasion by a Purohit or any elderly member of the family while the youngsters sit and hear the same. Later Prasad is distributed after offering salutations to the person who reads the same.

Bevu Bella : Temples serve Bevu Bella i.e. Neem and Jaggery as a prasad, signifying people to be prepared for the good and bad things in life ahead. These are offered with some “Gomutra” to people. Gomutra is cow’s urine considered holy by hindus. This is diluted and added to the thirtha given by the purohits on that day only.

Blessing the Newly Weds : Newly wedded couple get to spend the festivals in the first year following their marriage in the Brides maternal home/kulaar. The couple are blessed by the elders, an aarati is performed to the couple followed by 'vonTi borche' and some gifts are also given.

Disclaimer : I have written this Article to the best of my knowledge, there may be some difference of opinions in traditions and customs. Please do excuse for the same.

Many traditional and yummy dishes are prepared during this day and enjoyed by children and elders alike. Any Gashi, Bibbo + Tendle Upkari, Dalitoy, Ambuli Nonche, Rice, Madgane, Rasvodo, Cauliflower Bajo, Moodo, Kotambari Palle Chutney and Taaka are just some of the items that are prepared. There are many more as per traditions and every house has their own menu of items that are savored during this day. The dishes are all placed before God, also two small leaves are kept in which also the food is served. The eldest man in the houses shows Aarati to all the dishes, saree etc. kept in the presence of the God as Naivedyam and the two leaves that are kept, one of them is served to crow and the other to cow. After the Arati is offered to all in the house with theertha, prasad etc. Lunch is served.

Here is my Ugadi / Samsaar Paadvo Thali prepared by me with lots of love for my family and friends. I am not going to run into more details as every GSB Konkani Saraswat / Amchi knows this festival and there is no need for me to go into details. I am going to give links to each of the dishes below. Please do follow the links for the preparation of the dish. Thank you and A Very Happy Ugadi / Samsaar Paadvo to all my friends and blog followers. May God shower his blessings on all of you. May God also bless us all with health, wealth and prosperity. Once again A Very Happy New Year ….. Enjoy the year ahead and stay blessed.

Here is my Special Gudi Padva Thali : Jenavaro + Suran Gashi, Bibbo + Tendle Upkari, Dalitoy, Ambuli Nonche, Rice, Madgane, Taaka, Rasvodo, Cauliflower Bajo, Moodo, Kotambari Palle Chutney