Ugadi festival rangoli , recipes

Ugadi is the (lunar ) new year celebrated in Andhra Pradesh (as Telugu new year), Karnataka (Ugadi Habba).  It is celebrated as Gudi Padava in Maharastra. 

 It falls on the first day after new moon day in the month of Chaitra.  "Padava" is the first day after new moon or full moon day.   A new lunar calender is purchased and puja is performed.  Gudi means flag staff ( also called Indradwaja ). 

 Usually a thin bamboo pole about 2 metres long is decorated with alternate stripes of red ochre and white colour.  A new cloth is tied to the pole with  mango leaves with some flowers added.

 A cup made from silver is inverted on the pole.  

We usually place the new almanac at the base of the staff on a plank and offerings are given.  This day is also related to the victory of the army of Shivaji Maharaj.

Ugadi rangoli  New update

A traditional rangoli with lines for the festival.  Decorate with ochre border to indicate an auspicious occasion

Traditional without chukki rangoli for Ugadi festival

Or we can draw a very small rangoli as shown in the image below if there are constraints in space as we have in big cities like Mumbai

         

Ugadi special - Neem flower pachadi (veppam poo pachadi ) and kosambhir

Ugadi muggulu / Ugadi kolam / rangoli

The rangoli below signifies the importance of Ugadi.  I have decorated it with mango leaves just to give a festival ambiance. 

 It is a free hand rangoli that I had sent few months back to a Tamil magazine.  It was not published.   So I have decided to publish in Rangoli-sans-dots. 

 The central design is a triangle with two lines.  Circular patterns decorate each edge of the triangle.  Double line patterns evolve from the area between the circular patterns.  Finally the outside has a border rangoli. 

 The entire design is filled with colourful lines and white dots.  Also six simple flower patterns on the periphery have been added.  To signify Ugadi a mango leaves decoration has been added at the top.  A double line rangoli.

The next rangoli, is a combination of traditional rangoli, free hand designs and an auspicious rangoli border that I tried for Ugadi.

The padi kolam at the centre has floral and traditional decorations on each edge.  Four floral designs with three petals have been added on the four sides. 

 A "thoranam" has been added at the top for an auspicious occasion celebration..

The next one is also a combination of padi kolam, free hand rangoli and  border designs drawn for Ugadi only difference is that the central padi kolam is drawn by my mother-in-law for festivals and I have not drawn the traditional one but added a few colours. 

  The design is  decorated with flowers  at the periphery and more designs and patterns on the outside of the rangoli. 

 Four designs with spiral patterns and simple borders have been added at the four corners as shown in the image. 

Since Tamil New Year is approaching we can use these rangolis for Tamil New Year also. Such colourful and grand but simple rangoli designs can also be drawn for Navratri golu or kolu

Without chukki rangoli with colour

Rangoli without chukki with colour

After Ugadi the next important festival is Ram Navami. We celebrate the festival  with panagam, buttermilk and kosimbhir. 

 All these have a cooling effect since the festival comes during April when it is quite hot in Tamil Nadu. Panagam is prepared by adding jaggery powder in water. Add cardamom, dry ginger. Add lemon juice to get this recipe.

Now, a typical padi kolam also called lines rangoli / lines kolam or geethala muggulu by some through a series of images.

  Padi kolam is a an auspicious kolam that can be drawn of Friday, festivals and functions ! ( alliteration courtesy - my husband ! ).  Decorate the periphery with a kaavi border to complete the rangoli

  

Ugadi festival special rangoli design , beautiful geethala muggu

Ugadi rangoli designs with dots

Another simple padi kolam that can be drawn for Tamil New Year or for Ugadi muggulu with dots.  The dot grid used is five by five with 2 and 1 dots ( idukku pulli ) on all four sides. A simple chukki rangoli for Ugadi festival

Ugadi special rangoli with dots , simple 

If we want a simple rangoli design with dots for Ugadi , this seven to four dot kolam should be suitable.  The images show the steps for this beautiful design .  It is a combination of star and lotus patterns.

 Lotus is considered holy and associated with many festivals, so I thought of creating a simple one with a small dot pattern. 

 In fact once we have the central star design as seen in the first picture , the remaining dots can be used to create any pattern of our choice.  However , for Ugadi , I have added small lotus designs that can be accommodated within the dot grid.

The position of the lotus designs all around are marked as shown

The remaining one dot on either side are used to draw petals on either side

Add more lines to indicate a number of petals

Decorate with kavi border to denote celebration of the festival

 One more option of a Padi kolam or rangoli with lines for festivals like Ugadi festival  celebrations ( also called Gudi Padava in  Maharashtra  ) is shown through some steps below. These padi kolam aka geethala muggulu in Telugu can be drawn on Fridays also.  

The muggu shown  is with just lines only straight and curved lines.  This is a traditional method of drawing kolam.

  I have added some free hand patterns inside and around .  Since we draw these designs free hand without any aid we should try to maintain symmetry to the extent possible. 

 For example we should see that the gaps on the four sides as shown in the first image is as even as possible horizontally and vertically.  This will solve most of our problems in drawing this kolam as we connect more lines to connect.

Ugadi Puja offerings

Offerings include flowers, fruits betel leaves and betel nuts, coconut, almonds and cashews shown are optional.

Pitla is usually made for important festivals like Ugadi, Varalakshmi Vratham, Fridays. It is one of the important Tanjore Marathi recipes

Thoor dhall is cooked in a cooker.  Tamarind is soaked in water.  

Dhania ( coriander seeds ), gram dhall in equal ratio, one teaspoon pepper for one table spoon of dhania, two or three red chilles, asafoetida are all fried or roasted in oil thoroughly till the dhall becomes golden brown.  Now add grated coconut and grind into a fine paste as shown in the photo.

In a pan take a table spoon of oil, saute with mustards, urad dhall and curry leaves.  Gently squeeze the tamarind as we do for sambhar and add the solution bereft of tamarind seeds to the pan.  Add the vegetables to this solution.  I have chosen ring beans and ground nuts.  

The best combination is arum and ground nuts for pita.  We can choose bitter gourd instead of beans or arum ( but bitter gourd is not added when we prepare for festivals ). Allow the entire mixture to boil.

Add the cooked thoor dhall and stir well and cook for five minutes.  Now add the ground paste of dhania, gram dhal, asafoetida, pepper and chilles.  Add salt to taste.  Let the pitla boil for a few minutes with the knob of the gas stove at sim position.

Ugadi special - food recipes 

Ugadi festival recipes through pics

A typical South Indian festival menu I prepare  particularly for Ugadi, Varamahalakshmi Pooja  is some what like this . 

Two types of kosimbhir

Two types of vegetables - ( ladies finger and beans )

Mixed rice - I have prepared mango rice

Pitla with peanuts and home  grown cluster beans

Ambode and bonde kadi

Tomato rasam

 Poli

Ugadi special - sweet sour pachadi

Of course like any festival of India, rangoli is an important part of the celebrations and obviously Rangoli-sans-dots should have some for this occasion and they are there below

.One of the important dishes prepared for Ugadi/Gudi Padva is made from neem flowers, green chillies, jaggery, salt and tamarind signifying that life has ups and downs. 

The lunch is usually heavy. Later the almanac is read to know about festivals, eclipses and other astronomical (or astrological ) information for the year.