I debated whether to celebrate Ugadi this year or not. It felt that there was nothing to celebrate. But the only normalcy we have to our lives is not giving up on what is important. So we got energised for Ugadi. Ugadi in Sanskrit means yuga (age) & ādi (beginning): "the beginning of a new age". Ugadi is New year celebration in South India. There are 3 distinct aspects to how my family celebrates: 1. The Ugadi Pachadi: This is offered in puja and is the most important for me. It represents the metaphor that life is a mix of complex emotions. It has 6 ingredients- neem flower (bitterness), jaggery (sweetness), tamarind (sourness), salt (saltiness), chilli (spicy), raw mango (tangy) 2. Rangoli: More of a lost art, in my childhood we took great pride in making complex rangolis. What we made today as you can see is not very complex but atleast continuing the tradition 3. Obattu/Puran Poli: In my house this is the most important dish for the festival. Homemade hot off the girdle Obattu is a treat, and that was the highlight today I wish you all a Happy Ugadi. Like Ugadi Pachadi, our share of troubles are front-loaded in the first half of the year but we will end it on sweet high note. Stay safe, Stay strong. …see more