Telugu Tarangini celebrated Ugadi, the Telugu new year, on Friday at BITS RAK campus.
The Vilambinama Samvatsara Ugadi this year was on March 18, but the festivities seem to continue.
The Telugu diaspora from other emirates also participated in the event that included several cultural activities.
The traditional Ugadi pachadi was served to all. The pachadi is a potion comprising different tastes such as bitter (neem flower), sweet (jaggery), salt, hot (green chillies) and sour (raw mango and tamarind) and fresh coconut.
It symbolises the different experiences — ups and downs — that lay ahead.
No Ugadi celebration is complete without the reading of Panchangam. Subramanya Sharma, a UAE resident, got the honour to do it.
Panchangam is the Telugu almanac of key dates of festivals and also contains predictions based on individuals zodiac signs.
Children and women presented traditional and cinematic dances and songs.
The highlight of the daylong programme was the orchestra conducted by Tollywood singing couple Hemachandra and Sravani Bhargavi.
Rather than just sing a few songs and call it a day, the duo involved all in the auditorium to dance to their peppy numbers.
What is Ugadi
Ugadi is a combination of two words Yuga (era) and Adi (beginning).
Each yuga has a cycle of 60 years and each year of Ugadi has a specific name, beginning with Prabhava. This year’s name is Vilambi. A person born last Vilambi will be celebrating Sashtipruti or 60th birthday this year.
The Telugu new year falls on Chaitra Shudda Padyami, that is a day after the first new moon after the sun passes the equator on the spring equinox, based on the Hindu lunar calendar.
Kannadigas also celebrate Ugadi while Maharashtrians celebrate their new year as Gudi Padwa and in the northeastern Indian states as Poila Boisakh.
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