Ugadi 2026 celebrated on March 19

Key facts

• Ugadi 2026 was celebrated on March 19.
• The festival falls on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, the first day of the waxing phase of the moon in the month of Chaitra.
• Ugadi marks the traditional New Year for Telugu and Kannada communities and is widely observed in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka.
• The word 'Ugadi' combines the Sanskrit words 'Yuga' (age or era) and 'Adi' (beginning).
• The main puja is performed in the morning after sunrise.
• Abhyanga Snanam, the ritual oil bath, is taken before sunrise.
• Ugadi Pachadi, a dish mixing six tastes, symbolises life’s varied experiences: neem flowers (bitterness), jaggery (sweetness), raw mango (tanginess), tamarind (sourness), green chilli or pepper (heat), and salt (balance).
• Panchanga Sravanam is the ritual reading of the new year’s almanac predictions covering rainfall, agriculture, economy, and prosperity.