In Maharashtra and parts of the Konkan region, each house makes a Gudhi which is placed on a window sill on the right side of the main door of the house. This is followed by climbing to the top of the Cheiraoching, which is believed to help them excel in life and rise to greater heights. In Manipur, where it is also known as Sajibu Cheiraoba, people decorate their houses and a huge feast is prepared which is first offered to the deity before being consumed by everyone. They wish each other saying "Cheti Chand Jyon Lakh Lakh Wadayun Hujan", meaning "Many Greetings for the Festival". It is an auspicious day where they worship water which is considered to be the elixir of life, by making offerings of sugar, fruits and flowers along with an oil lamp.
This is followed by the Panchanga (almanac) Sravanam, where an elder of the house reads out the general forecast for the coming year.įor the Sindhi community, this day is special as it marks the birth of their patron saint Ishtadeva Uderolal, commonly known as Jhulelal. Sweets like bobbatu and holige (flat breads with sweet stuffing made of cooked and ground jaggery/sugar, and lentils), and payasa (flavored and sweetened milk, like a pudding) are prepared in many households on this day. This is followed by wishing each other for the new year saying "Yugadi Habbada/Hosa Varshada Shubhashayagalu" in Kannada or "Yugadi Shubakankshulu" in Telugu, which mean "Greetings of the Festival/New Year". The mixture is, thus, symbolic of a blessing that you may have a balanced life in which there is a bit of everything and to accept it all as a part of life.