Dakshin Mahotsav 

India is one of the most dynamic and diverse countries in the world. True to its diversity, there is no “One New Year’s Day” that the entire country celebrates. Every region/state has its own language, customs, traditions, food and even its own New Year! For the past four years, every spring, Sanskriti of NJ celebrated Dakshin Mahotsav – "Ugadi," a New Year festival celebrated in many parts of South India. More than 200 people attend the festivities at the Community Center, Livingston.  Here is a link to the clip of the 2019 event shown on Livingston Television: https://www.facebook.com/LivingstonTV/videos/1854843291226638/

Due to COVID-19, we had to cancel 2020's Dakshin Mahotsav and we celebrated with the community in Spring 2021.

History of the festival:

Ugadi is derived from the Sanskrit words yuga (age) and ādi (beginning): “the beginning of a new age”. Ugadi is  the New Year's Day for the Hindus of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana states in India.The first month of the year is called Chaitra and Ugadi is the first day of Chaitra. The festival is called Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra. The essence of this festival is to leave the past behind and start afresh with positive expectations. The day also marks the beginning of spring season, which is a universal symbol of new beginnings.

Décor:  

A huge team of Volunteers work tirelessly and selflessly to colorfully decorate the stage with Ugadi themed props creatively crafted. The entrance to the festival was decorated with Rangoli art and the photo props were so beautifully set up with colorful saree fabric and fresh flowers that every single family stopped by to take some memorable family pictures to commemorate the occasion. The decoration team also custom-makes a ramp for a fashion show. 

Food:

Maintaining the Ugadi tradition means serving “Ugadi Pachadi,” which is made of neem flowers, raw mango, tamarind, jaggery, pepper powder, coconut and salt. It is a mixture that has six different tastes i.e. sweet, sour, salty, pungent, spicy, and bitter. It signifies that life is a mixture of happiness, sadness, anger, disgust, fear, and surprise. Ugadi pachadi was the most popular starter of the evening. This is accompanied by dinner comprising of carefully selected mouth-watering dishes from all over India.  

Cultural Performances:

We host and evening with live cultural songs and dance performances that keep the audience entertained for over 3 hours. The opening performance is usually a Ganesh Vandana, followed by classical songs, medleys including devotional, classical and movie favorites as well as a classical dance performances. We end the evening with a well-orchestrated ladies fashion show that showcases the different kinds of sarees worn in different Indian states, and with various themes.