Ugadi is a Hindu festival that marks the New Year's Day for people in the southern states of India.
It is celebrated with great enthusiasm and joy, and there are six flavors that are traditionally associated with this festival. These six flavors are:
- Sweet: Sweetness represents happiness and joy. On Ugadi, people prepare a variety of sweets like holige, payasam, and obbattu.
- Sour: Sourness represents challenges and difficulties that one may face in life. A traditional Ugadi dish called 'Ugadi pachadi' is made with a combination of ingredients like tamarind, jaggery, neem flowers, raw mango, and salt, which symbolize different aspects of life.
- Salty: Saltiness represents the importance of balance in life. It reminds us that life is a combination of different experiences, and we need to find a balance between them. On Ugadi, people prepare savory dishes like pulihora, a tangy rice dish.
- Bitter: Bitterness represents sadness and disappointment. Neem leaves are added to Ugadi pachadi to represent bitterness.
- Spicy: Spiciness represents the excitement and thrill of life. People prepare spicy dishes like chicken fry, mutton curry, and other non-vegetarian dishes to celebrate Ugadi.
- Astringent: Astringency represents the importance of introspection and self-reflection. On Ugadi, people take a bath in oil and then clean themselves with a paste made from ubtan, which is a mixture of turmeric, sandalwood powder, and other ingredients. This ritual is believed to purify the body and mind and help people focus on self-improvement.
