Gandhinagar: It’s the biggest festival of Gujarati people during the year today. It’s a new year day as per Gujarati Hindu Vikram Samvat calendar.

While Vikram Samvat calendar is also used by the people in several north Indian states and it is also the national calendar of neighboring country Nepal, the Gujarati Vikram Samvat calendar is different from others. The new year in Gujarati calendar is celebrated a day after Diwali. This year however it is on the second day after Diwali.

One can see footfalls in temples increased by many-folds on the new year day which is popularly called ‘Bestu Varsh’ in Gujarati. People do clean their houses and decorate with Rangoli art on the side of the entrance to welcome the guests on Bestu Varsh.

Relatives, friends visit places of one another to convey greetings of ‘Happy New Year’ or ‘Saal Mubarak’ or ‘Nutan Varsha Abhinandan’.

While in other states, Diwali festival is celebrated for just one day, in Gujarat the festivities of Diwali festival continue for five days for sure and even more. It starts with Dhan Teras and ends at Bhai Beej(Bhai Duj).

The markets are mostly closed during this period. They reopen on ‘Labh Pancham’, the fifth day of Gujarati new year. ‘Labh Pancham’ is considered auspicious mahurat to reopen the business after Diwali break. Gujarati tourists can be spotted at all major tourist destinations across the world during this period.

Contrary to very bad coronavirus outbreak last year, this year long trips outside the state and the country, door-to-door visits to convey new year wishes, visits to temples etc are in regular volume. Compared to Covid-19 period last year, this Diwali, the businessmen have done very good business. In some cases it has been at par with pre-pandemic levels.. In some other cases it has been even better.

At each Gujarati home, Diwali special sweets and shacks are cooked and served to guests. The people wear new dresses. Houses are decorated with Asopalav torans (made of Asopalav leafs) and marigold flowers.

The new Gujarati Vikram Samvat calendar year 2077 will be full of lot of new developments for Gujarat. The year will see heightened political activities in connection with upcoming State assembly elections that are likely in December 2022. A new diamond bourse in Surat is likely to open this year. The Statue of Unity tourist will start witnessing Narmada aarti regularly on newly constructed ghaat. More routes of Ahmedabad Metro rail are expected to start this year. Ahmedabad will get a beautiful foot over bridge across river Sabarmati, works for which are already in final stage. Some works for a barrage cum east-west river bridge and extension of Sabarmati riverfront to Indira bridge may also fructify this year. All works on flyovers on Ahmedabad – Gandhinagar route at SG highway are likely to complete this year. A journey from Ahmedabad to Udaipur is likely to be smoother and speedier as massive road expansion works underway at present are likely to complete this year. More so, Ahmedabad – Udaipur broad gauge rail project may also complete this year finally. Works for All India Institute for Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hospital in Rajkot will complete in limitation of first phase. Works on gold plating of the 111 foot statue of Shiva in the heart of Sursagar lake is likely to complete this year. Surface works of erecting pillars for the Ahmedabad – Mumbai high speed railway project (bullet train project) are going to be more visible this year. Ground works on proposed National Maritime Heritage Museum project at Lothal near Ahmedabad are likely to kick off this year. Somnath Mandir may see start of works for Goddess Parvati Mandir within the main temple campus. The campus of the Indian Institute of Skills may be readied this year at Nasmed near Ahmedabad. A sea bridge connecting Okha and Bey Dwarka may complete this year. Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit will be held in January 2022.

The state has steady challenge to prevent third wave of coronavirus. Vaccination programme during the new year will further achieve success.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel – following the same routine established by Shri Narendra Modi as Gujarat Chief Minister – would visit Panchdev Mandir in Gandhinagar and perform puja on new year day. He will then visit Adalaj Tri-Mandir and Nagar Devi (the Goddess of the city) Bhadrakali Mandir in Ahmedabad and have darshan. In public events, the Chief Minister will receive new year greetings from the citizens at community centre in ministerial enclave in Gandhinagar and at Shahibaug circuit house in Ahmedabad. The Chief Minister will also attend a function at Officers’ mess.

Union Home minister and Gandhinagar Lok Sabha MP Amit Shah will meet the citizens and receive their greetings at his Thaltej based residence during 9 to 10.30 am.

Gujarat BJP chief CR Patil will attend a function at SOmnath mandir during 8 am to 12 noon and later meet the citizens at his bungalow in Surat post 2 pm.

Ravishankar Maharaj, who inaugurated Gujarat state in 1960 had penned down how the festival of Diwali and Gujarati New Year was celebrated over 100 years back.

Ravishankar Maharaj writes: As Diwali is considered the last day of the year, people would rest, and pause their routine activities. Even poor person would cook good dishes of food. Laddu was cooked very commonly at every home. Businessmen would rope in Brahmins to worship their account books of new year. Ink pot, account book and pen (kalam in those days) were worshiped. Businessmen would take pledge before Brahmins, that they would never enter anything wrong in the account book using the ink and pen they worshipped. On the new-year-day, everyone would wake up early in the morning and hug one another to convey heartily good wishes. One would consume sweets and visit temple in new year morning. In the evening all villagers would gather at one place where Brahmin would read ‘Saar patrika’ in which review of the last year and forecast of the next year would be read out. On this day, younger ones would serve the elders. There was a general feeling that if the first day of a new year passes well, the entire year would be equally good. Ethics and dharma were very much the part of routine life of people.

What do Gujaratis do nowadays on Gujarati new year day?

– They visit one another to greet Nutan Varsha Abhinandan, Happy New Year, Sal Mubarak.

– They decorate homes with Rangoli, Asopalav leaves and Marigold torans at the entrance of the house.

– They cook varieties of snacks items to offer to well wishers, such as Suvaali, Ghughra, Mathiya and number of sweets.

– They wear new dresses and visit Mandirs.

– They maintain positivity overall and make donations to needy.

– They observe holiday for not just Bestu varsh, but also for three more days and reopen the businesses on Labh Pancham.

DeshGujarat