BENGALURU: It’s Ugadi for Kannadigas, Telugites and Tamilians and the Gudi Padwa for Marathis... The names might be different but the day marks the beginning of the New Year for many people. Sandalwood has been home to many actors who come from different backgrounds.
Though all of them consider themselves to be proud Kannadigas, they give a glimpse of their family customs.
For example, actor Brinda Acharya recalls her grandmother telling her cousins and her folktales.
“Ugadi, during my childhood, was spent in the hostel. The only thing I did was wear new clothes. It’s only in the last five years that I have started celebrating the festival in my house. A strong memory from my childhood was my grandmom telling us the folktale of Ugadi Purusha. We typically celebrate the festival by tidying up the house which is followed by bitter-tasting juice after which we have jaggery. Then we follow it up with a pooja and festive food like hollige,” says Acharya.
One of the top names in Sandalwood, Hariprriya’s family originally hails from Andhra Pradesh. For her, the festival is all about food.
“During Ugadi, I take care of the decoration and rituals. My mother is in charge of the food. I usually have to watch what I eat because of my profession but on that day, I gorge on festive food. I start the day with a small bite of neem and jaggery,” says the actor.
Now that she is married into a Kannadiga household, she is going to do things differently. “My mother is hosting us a great feast. at my husband’s [Vasishta N Simha] place, the Ugadi celebration is on March 23. So I get to celebrate the festival for two days,” she says.
For Tamilians, celebrations start a couple of days in advance. Actor Amrutha Iyengar explains when it comes to Ugadi, most of the South Indians have similar celebrations, however, there are small rituals that are unique to each culture.
“For Tamilians, the New Year starts with Ugadi. There is a tradition called Mooru Dosae Habba or Ane Dosae Habba where we stack dosaes on top of each. And then comes Ugadi after a few days. The festival days are quite regular where we start our day with an oil bath and follow it by having bevu-bella, a mixture of neem and jaggery,” says Iyengar, who is currently promoting her latest movie Hoysala, starring Dhananjay in the lead role.
It’s also Gudi Padwa for Marathis. Having spent a lot of time in Bengaluru, and basking in all the flavours of Ugadi, actor Sanvi Srivastava is currently in Mumbai, where the actor is celebrating Gudi Padwa up close.
“It’s a big festival for Maharashtrians. It marks the beginning of Navaratri so it is pretty grand here in Mumbai. I am going to visit my friend’s place whose mother makes delicious puran poli which tastes the best when served with a dollop of ghee,” she shares.