Is Gudi Padwa in India a small festival, or you just haven’t been to Maharashtra? The heart of Gudi Padwa celebrations lies in Maharashtra from start to end, the festival day transforms the streets into an event of dance, music, and finger-licking food. Watch the Maharashtrians wear their most colourful traditional clothing by hopping on cheap flights to India for a celebration unlike any other.
Let’s uncover the mystery of the so-called small Indian festival that arrives with the grandest celebratory blast in Maharashtra! You can also attend smaller festive celebrations for Gudi Padwa 2025 in Goa and Ayodhya and uncover the five ways to celebrate Gudi Padwa in India.
Cleaning the House and Decorating with Rangoli
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Like the start of every festival, if you’re wondering how to celebrate Gudi Padwa in India, it begins with cleaning the entire house, which symbolizes a fresh start to the Gudi Padwa Marathi New Year for new beginnings. It’s an auspicious cleaning activity, so all family members join in. Once the cleaning is complete, all family members apply oil to their bodies and take a bath.
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Wear Traditional Clothing
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The heart of the Gudi Padwa festival sparkles the brightest when every Maharashtrian dons their best outfit! Every celebration, especially the Gudi Padwa celebration in Mumbai, is incomplete without the bright colours of the delicately crafted Nauvari Sarees. Women also wear Paithani sarees, kurta sets, and other traditional outfits.
The men in Maharashtra wear a white dhoti or pyjama with a kurta for the Gudi Padwa celebrations. The Gudi Padwa significance is heightened by the majestic outfits that make the simple celebrations in every state appear grand! Experience Gudi Padwa’s smaller celebrations by booking cheap Mumbai to Goa flights.
Bitter Start to the Day for a Sweet Year
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As per tradition, every family member must consume a bitter liquid made by mixing neem leaves and water. Some families also create a paste made using ingredients like neem, chilli powder, salt, and dal. Others also make a mixture of tamarind, neem, jaggery, and coriander seeds. A few believers also eat Mishri.
This paste or liquid must be had right after the members bathe, marking a bitter beginning to a sweet day filled with Gudi Padwa celebration!
Want to know more about how to celebrate Gudi Padwa and the Gudi Padwa history and significance? Read: Gudi Padwa 2025: History, Legends, & More.
Gudi Chi Puja and Hoisting the Gudhi
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The most important part of Gudi Padwa festival in India is the puja performed by the family before the Gudhi is hung outside the door or window of the house. The family’s eldest member does this following the Gudi Padwa information received from past generations.
The Gudhi is a religious symbol of new beginnings, made using an inverted Kalash under which a red, green, or yellow cloth is tied to drive away evil. This Gudhi welcomes immortality and wealth into the home in the coming year.
Let’s Not Forget the Special Gudi Padwa Food!
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Which festival in India goes without food? None! Especially not Gudi Padwa in India. After the Gudhi is hoisted, family and friends come together to enjoy a delicious meal all together. One of the best ways to celebrate Gudi Padwa in India for students and all visitors is to taste the delicious traditional dishes, including Puran Poli, Sabudana Vada, a sweet Shrikhand, Kaju Modak, Basundi, and much more, that are a welcome sweet delight after the bitter neem paste.
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Offering Prayers at Famous Temples
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What is a better way to celebrate Gudi Padwa in India than stepping into the holy temples of Maharashtra to get blessings for the new year? If your plans are not to visit the Ram Mandir Ayodhya with exciting Ayodhya tour packages, here are some of the best temples in Maharashtra to visit to receive double the blessings, including the ISKCON Temple, Mahalaxmi Temple, Mumbadevi Temple, and Siddhivinayak Temple.
Secure reservations at some of the cheap hotels in India in advance, as many people will fly to Maharashtra to catch the unique festivities and pray at these temples.
Watch the Famous Lezim Dances and Dhol Playing
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If you’re visiting Maharashtra for the first time for the festival and are wondering what to do on Gudi Padwa, here is your answer! You will be welcomed with a grand performance of the dhol-tashas, followed by thrilling bike rallies and the cultural Lezim dance performances by women in a range of colourful sarees!
Some locations where you can catch these exciting events in Mumbai include Girgaon Chowpatty, near the Dadar TT Circle, Vashi Sector 17, near the Bandra Fort, and Worli. You can also catch the grand Shoba Yatra at Thane, similar to the Gudi Padwa in India rallies, beginning from the Kopineshwar Temple.
Click here to find the best travel Gudi Padwa offer by reading: Flight Hacks for 2025: Maximize Your Budget with March Deals.
You’ll also spot nearby bazaars come to life with delicious food, colourful outfits, and many more souvenirs available for purchase to remember the Gudi Padwa festivities. This year, Gudi Padwa in India falls on Sunday, 30th March, followed by the grand Eid celebrations on the next day, Monday, 31st March. Once you try out all the vibrant Gudi Padwa celebration ideas, why not plan an exciting escape to Muslim countries, especially Dubai, by applying for online visa services for 180+ countries? Till then, uncovering the explosive importance of Gudi Padwa festival is here for a brand-new experience unlike any other.
FAQs: Gudi Padwa Festival
Gudi Padwa how it is celebrated?
Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra is celebrated with pomp, accompanied by bike rallies, Lezim dances by women, and the most delicious sweets. It’s also a quite religious day when the Gudhi hangs outside houses, and every house is decorated with beautiful Rangoli.
Why is Gudi Padwa celebrated?
Many legends are believed to be the reason for Gudi Padwa celebrations, including the creation of the universe by Brahma, Lord Rama’s return to Ayodhya, etc.
What is Gudi Padwa called in South India states?
Gudi Padwa in India is called Ugadi in South India and many other parts.
In which state is Gudi Padwa dance celebrated?
The Gudi Padwa Lezim dances are performed in Maharashtra every year.
Do Tamilians celebrate Gudi Padwa?
Tamilians don’t celebrate Gudi Padwa in India; however, they celebrate a similar event named Puthandu, their New Year, falling on 14th April 2025.
What is Gudi Padwa called in Telangana?
Gudi Padwa is called Ugadi in Telangana.
What is Gudi Padwa called in West Bengal?
Gudi Padwa is called Naba Barsha in West Bengal.
The Gudi Padwa festival is celebrated in which states?
Gudi Padwa festival is mainly celebrated as a huge event in Maharashtra. However, you can attend the celebrations in Goa and Ayodhya as well.
What are the rituals of Gudi Padwa?
The Gudi Padwa rituals begin with applying oil to the body before taking an early morning bath, having a bitter neem paste or liquid after a bath, decorating the house with rangoli and hoisting the Gudhi. This is followed by a puja.
Which God is worshipped in Gudi Padwa?
Most believers worship Lord Ram or Lord Brahma.
What is traditionally eaten on Gudi Padwa in India?
People generally eat Puran Poli, Shrikhand, and Sabudana Vadas as the delicacies traditionally eaten on Gudi Padwa in India.
What do we wear in Gudi Padwa in India?
Women wear grand Nauvari Sarees, kurta sets, embroidered suits, and other Indian outfits, while men wear white dhotis or pyjamas with colourful kurtas.
Also Read:
- Festivals in March 2025 Around the Globe that are a Must Experience!
- Ramadan Events in Dubai: A 2025 Guide to the Best Ramadan Festivities
- Embrace the Spring with the Best Staycation Spots to Visit in March in India.
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