By IANS,
Hyderabad : Telugus in Andhra Pradesh and other parts of India and abroad Monday celebrated Ugadi, the Telugu New Year, with traditional zeal and gaiety.
People offered special pujas, decorated doors of their houses and shops with strung mango leaves, tasted the traditional “Ugadi pacchadi” and listened to forecasts for the coming year made by “agma” pundits reading the “panchangam,” the religious almanac, at special functions.
Thousands of devotees thronged temples to pray for happiness and prosperity. Special prayers were held at Tirumala, Srisailam and Vijayawada temples.
Literary discussions, poetry recitations, honouring of authors and a number of cultural programmes marked the day.
“Ugadi pacchadi,” a mixture of neem buds, raw mango, tamarind juice, pepper, jaggery and salt, is a must for the celebrations. The mixture symbolises that life is a mixture of different experiences, both happy and sad, which should be accepted together and with equanimity.
The main function of “panchanga sravanam’ (listening to the almanac) was held at Ravindra Bharati in Hyderabad, where the pundit forecast a happy and properous new year for the state.
Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and some of his cabinet colleagues attended the main celebrations and tasted “Ugadi pacchadi”.
He presented awards to eminent personalities for their contributions in various fields.
Underlining the need for commitment and determination in every sphere of life, the chief minister made special mention of India winning the cricket World Cup.
Himself a cricketer, Kiran Kumar said the team achieved its goal through determination and did the country proud.
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N. Chandrababu Naidu attended the “panchanga sravanam” held at the NTR Trust Bhavan, the party headquarters.
Similar functions were also held at the Gandhi Bhavan, the office of the ruling Congress party, and the offices of other political parties.