Bestu Varsh, Gujarati New Year Vikram Samvat 2083 Begins; Saal Mubarak, Nutan Varsha Abhinandan, Happy New Year Gujarat

Gandhinagar: The biggest festival for Gujaratis is here, as today marks Bestu Varsh, the beginning of the Gujarati Hindu Vikram Samvat calendar year 2083.

While the Vikram Samvat calendar is also followed by people in several North Indian states and is the national calendar of neighbouring Nepal, the Gujarati Vikram Samvat calendar differs from those followed elsewhere. The Gujarati New Year is celebrated a day after Diwali. This year, however, it falls on the second day after Diwali.

Temple footfalls increase tenfold or even more on the New Year, popularly known as ‘Bestu Varsh’ in Gujarati. People clean their houses and decorate the entrances with Rangoli art to welcome guests on Bestu Varsh.

Relatives and friends dress up and visit one another to exchange greetings such as ‘Happy New Year’, ‘Saal Mubarak’ or ‘Nutan Varsha Abhinandan’.

While in other states Diwali is celebrated for just one day, in Gujarat the festivities continue for five days or even longer. They begin with Dhanteras and end with Bhai Beej (Bhai Dooj).

Markets generally remain closed during this period and reopen on ‘Labh Pancham’, the fifth day of the Gujarati New Year. Labh Pancham is considered an auspicious muhurat to resume business after the Diwali break. Gujarati tourists can be spotted at major tourist destinations across the world during this period.

At every Gujarati home, Diwali-special sweets and snacks are prepared and served to guests. People wear new clothes, while houses are decorated with Asopalav torans (made of Asopalav leaves) and marigold flowers. Some traditional Diwali delicacies include Mathiya, Ghughra, Chevdo and Suvali, among others.

The new Gujarati Vikram Samvat calendar year 2083 is expected to bring several new developments for Gujarat. The year will witness heightened political activity in connection with the upcoming Gujarat Vidhan Sabha elections.

The year is likely to see major progress on the Surat Metro Rail Project, with operations expected to begin on the Althan–Dream City corridor in the first phase.

Furthermore, the two extensions of the Ahmedabad Metro network – Phase 2A (Airport Extension) and Phase 2B (GIFT City Extension) aimed at improving connectivity to the city’s airport and enhancing intra-city transport within Gujarat International Finance-Tec City (GIFT City), are expected to make progress following the recent foundation stone laying by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Under road infrastructure, work on the ₹2,200-crore project to widen the 76-km ring road from four lanes to six lanes is expected to progress further. The project includes 11 new overbridges, four underpasses, two river bridges, five foot overbridges and dedicated footpaths.

Work on the upgradation and widening of the Ahmedabad–Mehsana Highway (State Highway-41) from four lanes to eight lanes, at an estimated cost of ₹2,600 crore, is also expected to gain momentum.

In a major boost to railway infrastructure, the country’s first Multi-Modal Transport Hub (MMTH) at Surat is expected to be nearly ready this year, ahead of the launch of the first bullet train between Surat and Billimora in 2027.

Like the year gone by, the Ahmedabad–Mumbai bullet train project will see further progress, along with the inauguration of its first phase, scheduled for August 2027, covering around 100 km of the stretch from Surat to Vapi.

The Statue of Unity site is set to see new tourist attractions, including progress on the Museum of Princely States, while hydrogen-powered buses are expected to begin operations soon.

The Khavda (Kutch) solar-wind hybrid power park will further boost Gujarat’s green energy generation capacity.

Phase 1-A of the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) at Lothal is likely to be completed this year, with six museum galleries becoming fully operational.

This year will also witness the 11th edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2027, scheduled to take place in January at the Mahatma Mandir Convention and Exhibition Centre in Gandhinagar. In the run-up to the summit, the Gujarat government is wooing investors and companies from across the world to participate in the event and invest in Gujarat through delegation visits and roadshows across major cities of the country.

One of Surat’s most visited attractions, Dumas Sea Face, is expected to see further progress on its second phase following the massive response to Phase 1 after its opening last year. Furthermore, Surat’s Gandhi Smriti Project is expected to be completed by mid-year, while the Tapi Riverfront Project is set to gain momentum. The city may also move closer to implementing the Water Metro Project, for which a feasibility study has already been conducted.

Work on Sabarmati Riverfront Phase 2, extending another 5.5 km from the thermal power station to Indira Bridge, is progressing steadily. Similarly, work on the GIFT City Riverfront is advancing rapidly, with both projects expected to see significant progress this year.

Work is also set to begin on the stalled packages of the Vadodara–Mumbai Expressway in South Gujarat, with the NHAI having completed the tender process for the long-delayed Package 9.

DeshGujarat