Many communities, myriad colours of the harvest festival in Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad, which has been a melting pot of many communities will witness celebrations of the harvest festival on Thursday, April 14, though in different names and ways. Various communities will celebrate the beginning of the new solar year in their own ways.
Punjabis, Tamilians, Keralites, Assaamese, Bengalies and Odiyas will celebrate the day by offering prayers. These communities celebrate their New Year during the period of vernal equinox.

In ancient times, people used to rely heavily on sun and agriculture, which was their occupation, for which these festivals are celebrated. Gujaratis celebrate the day as ‘Kamada Ekadashi’, when in Vaishnav Sampraday temples (known as Havelis) they organise various programmes to mark the celebrations.

The city is already caught in the festive mood as different communities will be celebrating New Year in different customs and rituals. Decorated houses, various delicacies and floral decorations will mark the day. On Thursday, the people of Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Odisha will celebrate their New Year, whereas people of Kerala and West Bengal will celebrate it Friday.

The Kerala community believes that on April 15, the sun transits from Meen (Pisces) to Mesha (Aries) and hence they celebrate Vishu on this day.

The Tamilians who also believe in this celebrate Puthandu. The Punjabis have a different belief altogether. For them, the significance of the New Year celebration dates back to 1699, when Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th guru of Sikhs, established Khalsa panth on this day.