మిత్రులందరికి వ్యయ నామ సంవత్సర ఉగాది శుభాకాంక్షలు

Ugadi is the first day of the Telugu New Year. It is celebrated on the first day of the first month of the Telugu New Year, Chaitram.
Generally, the people of Andhra Pradesh celebrate Ugadi by waking up early in the morning, have a head bath and wear new clothes, symbolic of a new beginning. The elder woman of the house prepares Ugadi Pacchadi Prasadam (Ugadi Sammelan) and distributes it to all the members of the family. The prasadam is to be taken with an empty stomach as to have a balanced life all through the year.
Ugadi Pacchadi is the special preparation of the day. It comprises of six tastes (shadruchi sammelan), each standing for a special character a man experiences in life. It consists of jaggery, neem flowers, tamarind, chilli powder, salt and raw mango pieces. The underlying idea of mixing different tastes is that life is a mixture of good and bad, joy and sorrow and all of them have to be treated alike.
A delicious lunch comprising of Garelu, Pulihora (Yellow rice), Payasam(Kheer), etc. follows. This auspicious day is also known for its Panchang Sravanam chanted by Veda Pandits. Panchaang contains astronomical data relating to the position of the Sun, The Moon, Planets, Stars and details of Eclipses, Occultations, Raasi results, and Muhurtams for a complete year (usually from April to March). It is a customary practice to attend the temple in the evening of this day where a Siddhanthi (Pandit) recites Panchanga Sravanam. The yearly fore cast for the country as a whole, different places and people basing on Raasis will be predicted. It is believed that listening to Panchanga Sravanam is good for the people.