Ugadi, or the Telugu New Year is a nine-day-long festival that started on April 2 this year and marks the beginning of mankind’s creation by Lord Brahma, typically celebrated on the first day of Chaitra maasam (month) as per the Hindu calendar.
This festival is celebrated with much enthusiasm and frolic among the Telugu people in New Zealand and India. It is one of the prominent and historic Hindu festivals and signifies spring's beginning and mild summers' arrival.
New Zealand Telugu Association (NZTA) as every year, planning to make the celebration a memorable event this year too.
NZTA, a charity organization that was established in 1998 to maintain the culture of the Telugu people is celebrating Ugadi Uthsavam on April 9 (Saturday) at the premises of Sai Centre: Sai Mandir, 12/ 18 Princess Street, Onehunga, Auckland from 11 am onwards.
Talking about the event, Suneel Kuncha, General Secretary of NZTA says, “For the Telugu community, Ugadi is the beginning of Telugu New Year and is a significant event for us. NZTA celebrates Ugadi with our community members every year but missed out in 2020 due to Covid-19. This year we want to provide an opportunity to community members to interact, socialise with our committee members. We will start the event with Panchaga Sravanam, wherein Vedic astrologers will read the almanac and explain predictions for the year ahead based on the devotee’s zodiac signs.”
He further reveals that following the same, Ugadi pachadi will be offered, which is a mix of six different ingredients such as sweet, sour, salt, bitter, pungent, and spice.
Interestingly, this year’s event will see community members paying singing homage to late well-known Telugu lyricist Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry gaaru, a Padma Shri awardee, who passed away on 30 November 2021.
“Mr. Sastry was an iconic figure for Telugu people and therefore we have planned a singing tribute to him on the occasion of Ugadi,” reveals Kuncha.
Despite the Covid-19 guidelines and restrictions to follow for events, Kuncha reveals that the preparations are going on in full spirit. “The preparation is going on with much enthusiasm. Mrs. Anitha Moglicherla, President of NZTA takes the safety of people attending seriously, hence the entry is strictly only for those who have registered. Additionally, per the Government restrictions and regulations of Sai Mandir, we are restricting the gathering to a maximum of 150 members at any given point in time. We are also requesting our members to use face masks, regular sanitising and social distancing,” signs off Kuncha.
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