One holiday, multiple celebrations. 

To the public eye, popular Hindu festivals like Diwali and Holi take the spotlight, but there are also several Hindu New Year festivals celebrated across India varying in identity between states. 

Known as Gudi Padwa in the Maharashtra, Konkan, and Goa region, Cheti Chand in the Sindhi region, and Ugadi in the Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka region, Wednesday marks the first day of the Hindu new year for many across India.

Each culture and region celebrates the holiday differently, bringing diversity to the religious day. 

“We celebrate it as Ugadi, because I’m from the Telangana region,” sophomore Sia Parpelli said. “While Navratri is popular in north India, for south Indians Ugadi is really big and we celebrate it as our new year. Typically you make drinks or Puran Poli (traditional Indian sweetmeat) and I always get really excited for it because I have fond childhood memories associated with it.”

For senior Aarya Oswal the celebration is for the day known as Gudi Padwa.

“Since I’m from Maharashtra, we celebrate a little differently. We make rangolis from color and leaves, clean the house, and do a certain ritual with neem leaves. But a staple is to always make sweets and my mom always makes Puran Poli so I’m looking forward to enjoying that today.”

No matter how the day is celebrated, Parpelli believes it helps bring unity to the many distinct cultures of india.

“Even though I celebrate it as Ugadi, many of my other friends celebrate it as Gudi Padwa,” she said. “I find it very interesting that we celebrate differently but with the same values and intentions in mind at the end of the day.”