Significance
Gudi Padwa is the New Year for Maharashtra and the Konkan, marking the first day of the month of Chaitra. The gudi — a bright cloth tied atop a bamboo with a garland and an inverted pot — is raised outside homes as a symbol of victory and good fortune.
It is regarded as one of the three-and-a-half most auspicious muhurats of the year, favoured for new beginnings.
Rituals
The gudi is hoisted at a window or doorway at sunrise and worshipped. Homes are cleaned and decorated with rangoli and mango leaves. A traditional first bite of neem and jaggery signifies accepting life's bitterness and sweetness together.
How the date is fixed
Gudi Padwa falls on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada — the first day of the lunar year, the same day as Ugadi in the south.