A new year by any other name

The first day of the Chaitra season ushers along with it a celebratory mood not just for us down South.

The day that marks the arrival of the new year according to the Hindu calendar is a time that is also looked forward to by Sindhis who celebrate Cheti Chand and by Manipuris for Sajibu Cheiraaoba, their New Year. Interestingly, for the Rajput Thakurs in Delhi, today is the first day of their Navratri celebrations. Almost makes us want to call this time a celebration of brotherhood, if you please.

So, how do the various communities celebrate the festival in the city? Madhuri Dixit, Roop Gokhlaney, Chhaya Singh and Robert Naorem let DNA in on the happier details...

Robert Naorem, make-up artiste
The new year is called Sajibu Cheiraaoba and marks the first day of the first month of the meitei trditional calendar. Traditionally, in Manipur, thefestival is celebrated with the entire family coming together for it. One of the customs has the oldest member of the family giving some sort of a gift to every family member. There is the mandatory huge feast that is prepared with 18 to 30 dishes. during this time. In what you can call an interesting practice, after the meal, people usually climb the nearest hill. We do it for two reasons, one obviously to digest that huge meal! The practice is also symbolic of an old myth that says that the people of the valley came from the hills. So, how do we celebrate the fesitval in Bangalore? There’s a huge meitei community in the city that gets together every year. We cook this huge feast for ourselves. Now, since there is no hill for us to climb, we go to a park or sometimes just hang out and probably do a movie together. Because, the festival is also characterised by food being offered to both the Gods and the demons, we will be doing this ritual in Bangalore.

Chhaya Singh, actress
I am a Rajput Thakur and in our culture, Navaratri starts tomorrow, unlike down South where its celebrated in October. In Delhi and interiors of Delhi, the festival will be celebrated from tomorrow onward till the ninth day. As we’ve been in the South for long, we get to know about the festival only from our relatives who live in Delhi. But despite being a lot more south Indian today, we do celebrate the occasion in a small way. The puja for the festival will begin tomorrow on at home and will continue for the next nine days. And in the end, my mother will just cook something special. Now, Ugadi is a festival I look forward to. It’s a holiday and I invariably celebrate it with my friends. It’s about having a nice tasty lunch and having a good time out.

Madhuri Dixit, actress
Today is Gudi Padwa and looking ahead to celebrating the day with full gusto is actress Madhuri Dixit-Nene. The Hindi film actress says that it’s the first time in many years that she will be celebrating the festival at home in Mumbai. “Out in Denver, Indian festivals like Diwali and Holi are big, but they don’t really celebrate Gudi Padwa, so it’s actually the first time that my kids (sons Arin and Ryan) will be celebrating it properly. They are very curious about it and their grandparents have been busy explaining the day’s significance to them. So yes, it’s going to be very special for all of us,” says Madhuri, who’s already chalked out her plans for the day.

“Right from setting up the Gudi in the morning to performing the puja, and preparing the traditional sweets and the special dishes, we’re doing it all,” adds Madhuri, adding, “The auspicious day marks a new year and so a new beginning. We are hoping that it will bring peace and prosperity for everyone.”

Happy to be back in Mumbai, Madhuri says that the real fun of festivals is in celebrating it with your loved ones. “The festival has it’s own mazaa in Mumbai and I would miss it the most during such festivals. There are so many fond memories associated withy the day and the city. But now that I am back, I am celebrating it for all the years I missed it. 

Roop Gokhlaney, socialite
Cheti Chand signifies the start of the Sindhi New year and we celebrate it with friends and family. The day starts with us going to the gurudwara in the morning for a puja. The afternoon is like family renunion time. Food is an impoirtant part of the celebration and some of the special dishes that will becooked ar the Sindhi Kadhi and a sweet called the Karao. One of the fondest memories I ahve of the festival has to do with Sindhi melas that would be conducted by Sindhi federation. They would organise competitions and we’d get prizes. Those were fun times!