The Gujarati New Year falls on Saturday, November 2, in the year 2024. This is the day when all of Gujarat welcomes this day as a new beginning for the Gujarati families with great pomp and fervor. It is Bestu Varas or Varsha-Pratipada, commonly just Padwa, occurring after Diwali.
This can be said to have begun in the month of Chaitra. Which follows other festivals such as Guddi Padwa and Ugadi, but the Gujarati New Year falls on the Shukla Paksha Pratipada Kartik month, directly following Diwali. That is how each region differs in India. Celebrating a New Year at different times based on its cultural beliefs and religious practices, therefore showing the diversity of the country while emphasizing the people’s unity.
The most commonly used name for the new year in Gujarati is Bestu Varas. The term Bestu means new, and Varas refers to year. Varsha-Pratipada and Padwa, besides this, are other popular names for the festival; people also refer to it as Gujarati Nav Varsh. Each name portrays a new beginning and ushering into a new cycle with a sense of renewal.
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The core story associated with Gujarati New Year relates the tale of Lord Krishna to Gokul people-a people mostly comprising of farm managers and sheep graziers who persuaded these villagers to work toward complete self-reliance on nature and in love with her. In celebration, annual offerings to worship the Lord Indra-weather deity-were getting prepared among Gokul folks. Krishna directed the village dwellers not to care much for this purpose rather strive hard toward responsibilities over defense of earth as well as cattle.
Taking Krishna’s words, people of Gokul channelled all their oblations to Govardhan Hill. Which provided them a place to stay instead of worshipping Indra. Indra, however, began to shower his anger and poured his heavy storm into the village. Krishna challenged this act and took a huge mountain named Govardhan on his finger that protected all the villagers, along with the cattle for seven days. After recognising the godliness, Indra humbly apologized for his action.
Since then, Gujaratis have observed this day with Govardhan Puja in honor of the wisdom and guidance of Krishna, and it also marks the start of a new year when they pray to Govardhan Hill for nature and the earth.
Gujarati New Year is on Saturday, 2nd November, 2024. Timings for Pratipada of the day are as follows:-
Pratipada Closes: 8:21 PM on November 2, 2024
These muhurats provide people with the impression of what time they need to begin their pujas and aarti, particularly Chopda Puja, to receive more divine blessings for the new year.
In essence, the New Year among the Gujarati is an affair very close to that of Chopda Pujan. While in Chopda Pujan, it is a tradition where a new set of account books called chopdas is worshipped by the merchants in a process of initiation. As this marks the beginning of both their business lives and personal family life. The Chopda has relationships with prosperity with the term “Chopda” being used for the account books that businessmen traditionally place their first notes into once opening the New Year in order to signify that year to begin as one would want in a successful and profitable venture.
With blessings from Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and Goddess Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, these books are opened. A Swastika is drawn on top of the book with good fortune and auspicious beginnings. Families and businesses seek divine support for their endeavors during this pujan, honoring both financial gains and spiritual guidance.
Usually, most businesses are shut on the day of Diwali and reopen after five days in Labh Panchami. Businessowners and members of their respective families engage in Chopda Pooja along with the people working for the venture and employees to cement ties within people and in mutual endeavors.
Families and friends gather on the morning of the New Year to celebrate with food and festivities. Homes are cleaned out thoroughly, decorated, and readied with new colors and designs, reflecting optimism for the New Year. Early in the morning, family members visit temples to pray for good health, wealth, and success.
Light firecrackers, another ritual, as it is said that the evil forces are removed and the good ones arrive. On this day, scrumptious sweets and snacks like ghughra, sweet dumplings, and mathiya, crunchy snacks, are prepared and distributed among family members and friends visiting them. People adorn new clothes, which signifies renewal, and gather to greet each other and share warm wishes.
On this day, “Saal Mubarak” or “Blessings for the Year” serves as an excellent way to greet others. This speaks volumes of the spirit in which the Gujarati New Year has been undertaken-those of goodwill and integration. A family gathering with a great wish for people to become healthy, happy, and prosperous fills the day
Indian culture shines through the different ways each region celebrates the New Year. For example, the Tamil New Year is called Puthandu and falls in April. While the Hindu New Year falls in Chaitra, when Ugadi and Gudhi Padwa take place. The Gujarati New Year, however, is special in that it falls in Kartik (October or November), after the festival of Diwali. As aside from this fact, these performances of festivals all carry meanings of unity and community plus pride in culture. This means their value system consists of something very significant that leads the people to them.
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This Gujarati New Year is an inspirational and traditional approach to assembling things. As being a remarkable step interlinked through the story of Lord Krishna as he led people of Gokul in such difficult situations. This day teaches him to attain self-sustainability through thankfulness and ownership of the legacy of culture. With Chopda Pujan, praying, and then getting together to celebrate the festival is a celebration that marks the beginning of a new year with values and traditions going down in generations.
Warm wishes for a happy and prosperous Gujarati New Year. Saal Mubarak!
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