Bengaluru: Neem and mango leaves strung together and hung on front doors and the bevu-bella (neem and jiggery) mixture offered to usher in Ugadi marks the beginning of the New Year for Kannadigas and Telugus.
It is believed that the sweet and bitter taste in bevu-bella symbolises the good and bad times to come. The festival sees traditional homes having feasts on banana leaves, followed by an evening prayer with the priest reading out predictions on weather, rains, crops and individual's astrology for the New Year.
Holige being prepared at Chapati Mane, at Nandini Layout for Ugadi in Bengaluru on Tuesday. (Photo: DC)
Raw mango, an integral part of the recipe for Ugadi, becomes the most sought after fruit across the state. “Though Hopcoms price is standard, it is being sold at Rs 32 a kg as the demand has gone up. Ever since people started shopping for Ugadi, the mango sales have gone up by 30%. People are also been buying a lot of beans for the side dishes," a shopkeeper at Malleswaram HOPCOMS said.
Holige or puran poli, as it is called in the North, is a must-have on Ugadi. Sweet pongal, coconut barfi and tamarind rice are the other favourites in this festival. People buy new clothes and those who can afford also offer gifts to their relatives. All in all, it is a celebration of the legend where Lord Brahma created the universe and it symbolises new beginnings or Happy New Year!
