Gudhi Should Be Installed Soon After Sunrise On March 30
Gudhi Should Be Installed Soon After Sunrise On March 30
Pune: Marking the beginning of the Marathi New Year, Gudhi Padwa, one of the three-and-a-half most auspicious muhurats in the Hindu calendar, will be celebrated on Sunday, March 30. On this occasion, devotees are advised to install the Gudhi soon after sunrise, preferably before the sun gets too hot. The Gudhi should be taken down in the evening after offering prayers at sunset.
Significance of Gudhi Padwa
Special preparations are being made in households across Maharashtra to welcome the New Year. Families erect Gudhis as a symbol of prosperity, happiness, and well-being. According to Mohan Date from Date Panchang, the Gudhi should be set up early in the morning, accompanied by festive decorations like torans made of mango leaves.
He further explained, “Gudhi Padwa marks the beginning of the new year, and it is customary to install the Gudhi at home while worshipping Lord Ganesha as per the Panchang (Hindu almanac). This festival is to be celebrated in every household, and those living independently can perform the rituals at their own homes without any restrictions. There is no specific muhurta (auspicious time) or ritual for installing the Gudhi—it should be done as per family traditions and convenience.”
Rituals and Traditions
After installing the Gudhi, it is customary to offer the first homemade meal (naivedya) to the Gudhi before partaking in the feast with family. Mohan Date also encouraged family reunions, urging relatives, especially brothers who live separately, to come together and celebrate the New Year with harmony.
How to Erect the Gudhi:
- The Gudhi is a symbol of prosperity and must be installed with due reverence.
- The bamboo pole used for the Gudhi should be washed and cleaned thoroughly.
- It should be adorned with a silk cloth and topped with a silver or clean household utensil.
- The Gudhi should be decorated with neem leaves, mango twigs, and sugar garlands.
- The installation area should be cleaned and decorated with rangoli before setting up the Gudhi.
- After purifying oneself, the Gudhi should be worshipped with turmeric, vermillion, flowers, and sugar garlands.
- Once the Gudhi is erected, it is customary to tie a sugar garland around the necks of young children in the household.
The Gudhi is also known as Brahmadhwaj, as it is believed that Lord Brahma initiated the creation of the universe on this day.
Celebrate Gudhi Padwa by embracing these traditional customs, welcoming the New Year with joy, and fostering family unity.
