New Year’s Across India

By Sonali Senapati | January 2024

India hides a whole world within its small subcontinent, filled to the brim with intricate and long-standing traditions. New Year’s celebrations in India are unique to each state or region’s culture and celebrated during many different times of the year, not just on January 1st.

For centuries, New Year's celebrations have vibrantly reflected the heritage and traditions that have shaped the nation. Each festival or day involves rituals, colors and gatherings that show the beginning of a new chapter. We will look at four New Year’s festivals from four different states in India: Punjab, Maharashtra, Odisha and Kerala.

Punjab:

Baisakhi or Vaisakhi signifies the beginning of the Sikh New Year and is celebrated around mid-April every year.

Not only is Baisakhi an agricultural festival, but it also commemorates the formation of the Khalsa. The Khalsa is the name of the community of Sikhs who have undergone an initiation ceremony, called the Amrit Sanchar.

Baisakhi is a festival to celebrate the harvest and pray for a plentiful crop in the next year, and a way to respect the courage and selflessness of the Khalsa. People often commemorate the day by visiting Gurudwaras to pray and participating in processions known as Nagar Kirtan. After prayers, people will gather at fairs which are organized for Baisakhi to dance and sing folk songs (“Baisakhi 2023: What Is Baisakhi, Why It Is Celebrated And 5 Traditional Foods To Enjoy On This Day”, 2023).

Maharashtra:

Gudi Padwa is the Marathi New Year’s Day, celebrated in late March or early April. The holiday marks the beginning of spring and the harvesting of Rabi crops, which are crops that thrive in the cold.

“Gudi” translates to a flag, often a piece of cloth topped with a silver or copper vessel and decorated with flowers and leaves; it represents victory of good over evil. On the day of the festival, people put Gudi flags outside their homes, clean and decorate their houses with rangoli designs, and visit their family and friends. They often prepare a dish with bitter neem leaves and sweet solid sugar, called jaggery. This simultaneous bitter and sweet taste is meant to represent life’s mixed memories and emotions.

Some beliefs also say Gudi Padwa marks Lord Brahma’s creation of the universe, but the day has also been linked with Lord Shiva’s dance and Lord Rama’s victory against the evil demon king Ravana (“Gudi Padwa 2023 Date, Time, Puja Vidhi, Rituals, History, and Significance”, 2023).

Odisha:

Pana Sankranti or Maha Vishuba Sankranti is the Odia New Year’s Day, celebrated in mid-April and marking the birth of Lord Hanuman. It is also the day the new Odia calendar for the year is introduced, with all the important dates, auspicious days and horoscopes.

A drink called “Pana,” made from fruits, sweets, sugar and other spices is made and distributed to friends and family. Another tradition, called “Basundara theki,” describes the practice of making a hole in a water-filled pot and placing it on top of the holy Tulsi plant, allowing a small trickle to constantly drip onto the plant.

People celebrate Pana Sakranti by visiting temples and going to fairs to see dancing and singing performances and stalls with food, crafts and other items. Performers do acrobatics and walk on coals (“Maha Vishuba Sankranti”, 2023).

Kerala:

Kerala’s New Year’s celebration is called Vishu, a festival of light and prosperity. It is celebrated in mid-April.

People start the day of Vishu by seeing the “Vishukanni,” which are holy items prepared from the night before. Seeing the Vishukanni is considered an auspicious way to begin the day and the new year. A golden flower, called the “Kani Konna,” is also used in the Vishukanni arrangement.

People celebrate by going to temples, lighting firecrackers, attending and participating in cultural events and dances, and with a practice called “Vishu Kaineetam,” where children are given money by older family members. Vishu is also believed to be the day that Lord Krishna killed the demon Naraksura (Agnihotri, 2023).

Each unique and individual festival shows a part of the cultural identity of each state and India as a whole. These celebrations are a testament to the beauty and richness of India’s culture and tradition.

References:

Agnihotri, Akanksha. “Vishu 2023: Date, history, significance and celebration of Malayalam New Year.” Hindustan Times, 15 April 2023, https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/festivals/vishu-2023-date-history-significance-and-celebration-of-malayalam-new-year-101681288415154.html. Accessed 28 December 2023.

“Baisakhi 2023: What is Baisakhi, why it is celebrated and 5 traditional foods to enjoy on this day.” The Times of India, 14 April 2023, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/food-news/baisakhi-2023-what-is-baisakhi-why-it-is-celebrated-and-5-traditional-foods-to-enjoy-on-this-day/photostory/99468132.cms. Accessed 28 December 2023.

“Maha Vishuba Sankranti 2023 | How & Where to Celebrate.” redBus, https://www.redbus.in/festivals/maha-vishuba-sankranti. Accessed 28 December 2023.

TOI-Online. (2023, March 22). Gudi Padwa 2023 date, time, Puja Vidhi, rituals, history, significance. The Times of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/gudi-padwa-2021-date-time-puja-vidhi-rituals-history-significance/dynalist/81828543.cms. Accessed 28 December 2023.