The Gudi Padwa festival is being celebrated with enthusiasm and pomp in Maharashtra with people hoisting “gudis” at their houses and processions taken out to welcome the beginning of the traditional Marathi New Year. (Image: PTI)The day is marked by people cleaning their houses, decorating them with colourful rangolis and hoisting the gudi- a bamboo stick decorated with a colourful cloth tied to a ‘kalash’ at the top and a garland of flowers attached to it along with mango leaves and neem leaves. (Image: PTI)The word ‘Gudi’ or ‘Gudhi’ means a flag and ‘Padwa’ is Pratipada is the first day of the new moon phase. Hoisting the ‘gudis’ is considered auspicious and believed to bring good luck and fortune. Farmers celebrate ‘Gudi Padwa’ festival to mark the beginning of the new harvest season. (Image: PTI)In Mumbai city and elsewhere, colourful processions are being taken out joined by men, women, and children in traditional attire. Music performances, playing of traditional dhols and lezim dances are the major attractions of these processions or shobhayatras. (Image: PTI)Women dressed in traditional ‘navvari’ or nine-yard sarees rode bikes, while horses took part in the processions taken out at Girgaum, Dadar, Vile Parle and other areas in the megapolis. (Image: PTI)Women performed the traditional lezim dance and played dhols in the processions or shobhayatras which were taken out in Thane, Dombivali and other satellite towns in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) in the morning. (Image: Twitter)In Thane city, neighbouring Mumbai, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde carried a palanquin of the presiding deity of Kopineshwar temple on his shoulders along with others for some distance in the morning. He also showered flowers on the participants and the performers in gymnastics at Chintamani chowk. Renowned violinist N Rajam, a Padmabushan-awardee, was also present. Shinde later participated in a Gudi Padwa procession at Dombivali Township in Thane district. (Image: PTI)Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray participated in the Gudi Padwa shobhayatra rally organised in Girgaon by the party’s area chief Santosh Shinde. (Image: Twitter)NCP leader Ajit Pawar hoisted ‘gudi’ at his official residence ‘Devgiri’ in Mumbai. He shared the pictures along with wishes on Twitter. (Image: Twitter)BJP’s Raosaheb Danve also hoisted ‘gudi’ in his Bhokardan residence along with his family. (Image: Twitter)Former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar also shared wishes for the festival on Twitter. (Image: Twitter)Actor and former Miss India Pooja Batra shared wishes on Twitter. “Happy #gudipadwa Y’all. May the darkness around fade away and showcase a new spirit and light for all. #lunarfortnight,” Batra tweeted. (Image: Twitter)
