India  March 27, 2014: The Holy festival which marks the beginning of the New Year, new month and new day for Hindus, falls on Chaitra Shukla Pratipadā (the first day of the bright fortnight of the Hindu lunar month of Chaitra). It is known as Gudī padwa (Maharashtra) or Yugaadi (Ugādi) (Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh) in India‏.

This year Gudi Padwa falls on March 31st 2014.

There are several ways of commencing a New Year. According to the Christian calendar, 1st January marks the beginning of the year. The financial year begins from 1st April, the Hindu New Year from the first day (Pratipadā) of the month of Chaitra from the Hindu lunar calendar, the commercial year from the first day of the Hindu lunar month of ‘Kārtik’, the solar (soura) year, the lunar (chandra) year, the luni-solar year and so on. In all these, the year comprises of twelve months. Who first proclaimed that a year should consist of twelve months and how did the world come to accept it ? The foremost exponent of this concept is undoubtedly the Vēdas, the most ancient literary texts. The Vedas say, ‘A year consists of twelve months’. It is because they say so that the world has accepted it. Out of all these days of beginning a year the most ideal one is the first day of the month of Chaitraaccording to the Hindu lunar calendar.

Creation of the universe: Since on this day Deity Brahmā created the universe and the Satyayuga began, it marks the commencement of the New Year.

One among the three and a half auspicious days (‘Muhurts’): Gudī  padwa ( Hindu New year), Akshay Trutīyā andDushehrā (Vijayā Dashmī) each make up one, and the first day of the Hindu lunar month of Kartik comprises half of the total three and a half auspicious days. The special feature of these three and a half auspicious days is that unlike other days when one has to choose an auspicious moment to perform a ritual, in contrast, on these auspicious days one does not need to, as every moment of these days is auspicious.

The higher incidence of Prajāpati sanyūkta  (conjoint) frequencies on the earth: The Tantra text Ganeshyamal states that in all 108 frequencies, one each from the four parts (charans) of the twenty-seven lunar asterisms from the region of lunar asterisms (Nakshatrālok / karmadēvlok) 27×4=108 reach the earth. They disintegrate further into four types of frequencies –yama, sūrya, prajapati and sanyukta.

On this day, the Tēj  and Prajapati  frequencies are effective in large measures. During sunrise on this day, the Chaitanya (Divine Consciousness) emitted from these frequencies can be retained for a longer period. It is accumulated in the cells of the embodied soul and is used by the embodied soul as and when required. Therefore within 5-10 minutes of sunrise one should perform ritualistic worship of the Gudhi.