4 days Ago By Anjali Jhangiani
Pune: Families across the city are gearing up to celebrate New Year festivals — Gudi Padwa , Ugadi and Cheti Chand — by Marathi, Telegu and Sindhi communities, respectively, on Sunday. Nav Varsh or Hindu New Year also falls on this day. Though each community has its own customs and rituals, the heart of the celebration is the same — ushering in a fresh start with prayers, food, and hopes for prosperity.
From Gudis swaying proudly outside homes to tangy-sweet bite of ugadi pachadi, and Sindhi families invoking the blessings of Jhulelal, these festivals are marked by vibrant traditions. "Every year, we buy a saree for our Gudi from the same shop on Laxmi Road and then head to Mandai to buy puja items. This year, I see many people purchasing ready-made Gudis to put up in their offices and shops.
Since my wife works on Sundays, I bought her a miniature Gudi to put on her desk at her office," said Aniket Chiploonkar, a resident of Sadashiv Peth. "The excitement of hoisting the Gudi never fades in our family. We look forward to gorging on puran polis with aamti.
My parents will be making amba shrikhand now that sweet mangoes are in the market," said Sayali Kulkarni, a resident of Kothrud. Sindhu Seva Dal will host a large community event on March 30 at Deccan College Banquet Hall, Yerwada, to celebrate 1075th birth anniversary of Jhulelal. The evening will begin with a pooja and aarti at 7 pm, followed by cultural performances, including dances by youth groups and a live concert by Mumbai's Sindhi symphony band featuring 17 talented artists.
"We are organising this kind of a Sindhi musical evening in Pune for the first time," said Ashok Waswani, Sindhu Seva Dal president. Hosted by Mohit Shewani, the programme will conclude with a community dinner. Around 4,500 members from Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad are expected to join the celebrations, organisers said.
For Ugadi celebrations, those from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana prepare ugadi pachadi, a dish with six flavours representing life's different emotions. "We bought fresh neem leaves, jaggery, and raw mangoes from the local vegetable market. Nowadays, there are many shops across the city that stock special masalas, coconut oil, snacks, and other ingredients from Karnataka, Andhra, and Telangana," said Meenakshi Rao, a resident of Rasta Peth.
Ravi Rao from Aundh said that the dish is simple to make and must be eaten in small quantities like prasad. "You just need neem flowers, jaggery, tamarind, raw mango, salt, and little chili. We mix everything with some water.
The jaggery makes it sweet, the tamarind gives it that nice tang, the neem brings in the bitterness, and the raw mango adds a sharp freshness. A pinch of salt balances it all. My grandfather always said that the dish is meant to remind us that life is a mix of all tastes—sweet, sour, bitter, everything.
We make it fresh on Ugadi morning and everyone in the family has a spoonful." Stay updated with the latest city news , Air Quality Index (AQI), and weather updates for major cities like Delhi , Mumbai , Noida , and Bangalore on Times of India ..
