India’s many New Years reflect ancient knowledge

I am delighted to extend my traditional New Year greetings to all in India and around the world on the occasions of Baisakhi, Rongali Bihu, Maha Bishuba Pana Sankranti, Poila Boishakh, Vishu, and Puthandu, which reflect the spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.

- CP Radhakrishnan

In northern India, people celebrate Baisakhi as a harvest festival.

(HT ARCHIVE)

May these auspicious occasions bring happiness and prosperity to everyone's lives.The month of Chithirai is the time when preparations for agriculture begin. Farmers start working on the land to make it fertile. Since our people believe that hard work leads to progress, they celebrate the beginning of labour itself. Across the country, we see similar celebrations, which stand as examples of unity and shared culture in India.

In northern India, particularly in Punjab, people celebrate Baisakhi as a harvest festival. In the south, Kerala celebrates Vishu, where viewing auspicious items (kani) is an important custom. In Assam, people celebrate Bihu, while in West Bengal, Poila Boishakh is celebrated with enthusiasm.

Similarly, people in Manipur, Tripura, Odisha, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan celebrate this period as the New Year in various traditional forms. In Haridwar, Uttarakhand, devotees from across the country gather to take a holy dip in the Ganga, marking the sanctity of the occasion.

Telugu-speaking people recently celebrated their New Year as Ugadi, while Marathi and Konkani communities observe their New Year as Gudi Padwa.

We belong to an ancient civilisation, as evidenced by the knowledge of our ancestors. Their understanding of the universe is reflected in these New Year celebrations.