Gudi Padwa is a celebration of the Hindu lunar New Year’s Day, falling on the first day of the Chaitra month.
That’s April 1 this year.
The name comes from Sanskrit words that stand for the first day of the bright phase of the moon.
As India is a predominantly agrarian society, many of the festivals and celebrations are linked to the turn of a season.
This one is no exception as it marks the end of one agricultural harvest and the beginning of another.
People dressed in traditional attires take out a procession to celebrate “Gudi Padwa”, or the Marathi new year, in Mumbai, India, Monday, March 31, 2014. (AP Photos/Rafiq Maqbool)
A Muslim devotee offers money to a holy flag during a religious procession at the shrine of Sayed Haji Abdul Rehman Shah Baba Qadri on his 99th Urs, or yearly commemoration, in Mumbai, India, Monday, March 3, 2014. Hundreds of devotees thronged the shrine to mark the occasion. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
A Muslim devotee inhales incense smoke at the shrine of Sayed Haji Abdul Rehman Shah Baba Qadri on his 99th Urs, or yearly commemoration, in Mumbai, India, Monday, March 3, 2014. Hundreds of devotees thronged the shrine to mark the occasion. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
Indian drummers in traditional attire play on around a rangoli design during a procession celebrating ‘Gudi Padwa’ or the Maharashtrian new year in Mumbai on March 31, 2014. (AFP/Getty Images)
Indian residents stand alongside a ‘Gudi’ (Lord Brahmas flag) as they watch a procession celebrating ‘Gudi Padwa’ or the Maharashtrian new year in Mumbai on March 31, 2014. (AFP/Getty Images)
(AFP/Getty Images)
(AFP/Getty Images)
