9 Different New Years in India: Celebration of Culture and Harvest!

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9 Different New Years in India: Celebration of Culture and Harvest!

This year has come to an end, and we all are ready to welcome 2020. We all preparing for New Year's Eve party and some of us have already started listing down all the new year resolutions for 2020. But did you know that this is not the only new year celebrated in India?

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Thanks to the cultural diversity of India, the masses of the country celebrates the New Year followed by both solar and lunar calendar system. Hindu calendar, which is based on the movement of the moon, has the maximum number of new years while the other religious new years are like Islamic New year!

Every region has a unique culture and traditions of celebrating the New Year. Majorly New Year is celebrated at the time of harvesting of crops. Today, we are listing the major New Year celebrations from different parts of the country.

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1. Baisakhi - Punjab

Baisakhi is the biggest harvest festival celebrated across entire North India. Baisakhi holds a special place in the land of Five rivers, Punjab. Commemorating the first day of the Vaisakh month, the Sikh community of Punjab also celebrates this day as the formation of the Sikh Khalsa. It is celebrated mainly at the birthplace of the Khalsa and the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

2. Jude Sheetal - Bihar, Jharkhand

Also known as Maithili New Year, it is celebrated by the Maithilis in Bihar, Jharkhand and even Nepal. Maithili New Year is usually celebrated on the 14th of April according to the Gregorian calendar.

3. Bohag Bihu - North Eastern States

Also known as Rangali Bihu, Bohag Bihu also falls on the day of Baisakhi and Puthandu in Assam. Celebrating the new harvest with lots of sweets, shared among the family and friends with the exchange of more gifts. Bohag Bihu is celebrated for three days straight with many different traditions. Bihu dance is a form of celebration for the people

4. Gudi Padwa - Maharashtra

Gudi Padwa is the first day of Chaitra month and marked as the New year in Maharashtra. A 'Gudi', a beautiful arrangement of silk saree or cloth tied to stick with a 'Lota' on the top and then decorated with sweets and garlands made of neem and mango. The day symbolises the victory of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj over his enemies and Shalivahan’s victory over the Sakas.

5. Ugadi - Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh

Ugadi or Yugadi is the New Year celebration of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. It is observed in these regions on the first day of the Hindu lunisolar calendar month of Chaitra. Traditional sweets and 'Pachadi' (sweet syrup) – made with raw mangoes and neem leaves – are served with the Ugadi meal. Ugadi is the festival of new beginnings, so people buy new clothes and eat lots of good food with friends and family.

6. Jamshedi Navroz

Novruz is the Iranian New Year, celebrated by many ethnolinguistic groups all over the world. In India, on the next day of Pateti, Parsis celebrate Navroz.

7. Vishu - Kerala

Vishu festival marks the beginning of harvest in the bountiful land of Kerala. It is a festival full of lights and fireworks. The day starts with an arranging harvest's fruits, vegetables and seasonal flowers in front of a mirror. This arrangement is called the Vishu Kani. On this day, devotees also visit Sabarimala Ayyappan Temple and Guruvayur Krishna temple for prayers.

8. Pohela Boishakh - West Bengal

Another state that celebrates a different New Year is West Bengal. The Poila or Pohela Boishakh is the first day of the Vaisakh, which is the Bengali New Year. You will witness cultural celebrations all over the state, with Bengalis going on a crazy shopping spree and musical shows. Santiniketan is well known for its Noboborsho (New Year) festivals.

9. Islamic New Year

The Islamic New Year starts on the first day of Muharram, which is the first month of the lunar Hijri calendar that is followed by Islam. The day also marks the migration of Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in 622 AD, and the journey was called Hijrah or Hijri, and hence the name 'Hijri calendar'. The New Year is celebrated with sharing meals and prayers with the family.