Ahmedabad: As the sun rises on Saturday, streets and homes across the state will resound with greetings of ‘Saal Mubarak' and ‘Nutan Varshabhinandan', marking the beginning of the Gujarati New Year. This auspicious day is a time for donning new clothes, indulging in sweets, seeking blessings from elders, and giving ‘shukan' to children.
After the hustle and bustle of Diwali, this day offers a much-needed opportunity to unwind and soak in the festive spirit and look forward to new beginnings.
Across the city and state, various Diwali and New Year traditions continue to thrive.
Hetal Padh, a resident of Khadia, reminisces about his childhood when he would knock on the neighbours' doors in the early hours of New Year, shouting ‘Sabras'. Residents would start their day with a lump of salt and give ‘shukan', like half a rupee or a rupee, to the children.
"Similarly, a pinch of kumkum was also considered auspicious to start the day," Padh adds. "These traditions remain in the pols, albeit in different forms."
The Gujarati New Year is not just a time for celebration, but also a moment for reflection and gratitude.
Several families follow the tradition of seeking the blessings of elders and visiting temples on this day.
"It is also the day of Annakoot or Govardhan Puja where sweets, vegetables and fruits are offered to the deity and prayers are made for a happy and prosperous year," said Deven Patel, a city-based businessman.
"In my childhood, we used to go from house to house, sampling various traditional snacks like chakri, mathiya, ghughra, and mohanthal. Although people do not socialise as much nowadays, I still cannot resist indulging in these homemade treats," he says.
Compared to other new year celebrations in Indian states, the day is unique as it starts with the month Kartik (or Kartak in Gujarati), which is the eighth month in Saka Samvat calendar —the traditional national calendar. Several other states where Vikram Samvat is followed, the New Year festivities occur around Chaitra. According to Professor Ramji Savaliya, who previously headed the BJ Institute of Learning and Research, there are two key factors that explain this tradition.
"Firstly, many rulers in Gujarat supported and promoted Jainism. Since Diwali marks Lord Mahavir's attainment of nirvana, the Vir Nirvan Samvat calendar begins the day after. Secondly, businesses traditionally start their new accounting books the day following Diwali. This practice of beginning new financial records, combined with the religious significance, led to widespread acceptance of this date as the start of the new year."
He added that the end of monsoon, spending capacity and customary pause in business from Diwali to Labh Pancham may also have contributed to the tradition.