Ugadi, the Hindu New Year, is today, March 21, 2015. When we talk about Ugadi, the first thought that comes to mind is this saying: ‘Little sweet (jaggery), little sour (mangoes) and a little bitter (neem) makes life better.’
Today is Yugadi, Vedic Astrological New Year. The term Ugadi or Yugadi is taken from the Sanskrit language where ‘Yuga’ stands for ‘age’ and the word ‘Adi’ means ‘beginning’. So, the entire word Ugadi means, ‘a new age beginning’.
Today is a day to set your intention and desire called Sukulpa. It was a ritual and a celebration.
To represent the bitter-sweetness of life and relationships, we were given 2 neem leaves and seeds along with a lump of sweet piece of what looked like rock candy. So that we can move through the bitterness with grace we taste the bitterness of the neem leaves along with the sweetness of the sugar and chew it slowly, taking in the essence and realizing the dualistic forces that exist in life. My eyes welled up knowing that you cannot have one without the other. I couldn’t separate the one from the other. The lesson was to accept both with grace.
The second step was to receive rose pedals. Facing the sun, I held the rose pedals in each Palm, my ring finger holding the pedals and made a motion to create a seat for God, then turn my hand to represent the blossoming lotus which represents the fulfillment of your personal intention or desire. Finally bring the hands back to heart center.
These practices or rituals exist to teach us that peace/sweetness and chaos/bitterness coexist and acceptance is the way to love.
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