Ugadi, the Telugu new year day, was today celebrated with traditional fervour and gaiety across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Panchagam' reading (recitation of almanac) sessions were organised at temples and at different events organised in the two states.
People thronged various temples and also decorated their homes with mango leaves and flowers and consumed the Ugadi Pachadi made with neem flowers, jaggery, pepper or green chillies, salt, tamarind juice, small pieces of raw mango.
It signifies that life is a mixture of happiness, sadness, anger, disgust, fear and surprise which should be accepted with equanimity throughout the year.
The official Ugadi function was held in Vijayawada where Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu led the celebrations.
Reading of almanac, cultural programmes and distribution of awards to various persons marked the celebrations.
Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu extended his Ugadi greetings to the people of the two states.
Naidu, along with Union Ministers Raj Narendra Singh Tomar and Hardeep S Puri, participated at an event to celebrate Ugadi festival in Hyderabad.
Governor of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana E S L Narasimhan extended his greetings to the people of the states of Rural Development and Panchayat and to Telugu people living elsewhere.
Chief Ministers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh K Chandrashekhar Rao and Chandrabau Naidu respectively conveyed their Ugadi greetings to the people.
In Chennai, Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit and Chief Minister K Palaniswami extended their Ugadi greetings to the people.
"I am very happy to convey my heartiest greetings and best wishes to you, your wife and all the members of your family on this auspicious occasion of 'Gudi Padwa'", Purohit said in his message.
'My heartiest wishes on the auspicious occasion of Ugadi for a year of prosperity", Palaniswami said in his greetings.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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