If one is looking for a city with a ton of great festivals every single year, then look no further than the Indian state of Maharashtra, particularly, busy city of Mumbai. India in general has always been a diverse, yet unique culture filled with many different cultures, religions, etc. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that India is host to some very large, very popular festivals every year. One such festival that has taken shape in Mumbai and other locations is Gudi Padwa. Gudi Padwa is widely renowned as the celebration of the first day of the month of Chaitra. Based on the Hindu calendar, this day is the beginning of the New Year.

Gudi Padwa holds a huge importance all over Mumbai and the Maharashtra state for a variety of reasons. As mentioned above, the first day of the New Year is marked by Gudi Padwa. Another reason that Gudi Padwa is celebrated is because of the extremely agricultural background that India has; Gudi Padwa marking the beginning of a new harvesting season. Gudi Padwa also has a religious past for some, being the day that the world was created by Brahma. Other reasons for the significance of this holiday are that is marks the day that the sun sits perfectly atop the intersection of the equator and other meridians. It also marks the day that Hunas was defeated in battle. Gudi Padwa is celebrated for a variety of reasons; it really just depends on the person celebrating it.

In terms of a festival and festivities, Mumbai is definitely not a stranger to such. While it may seem a bit unpleasant to some, on the day of Gudi Padwa, fresh cow-dung is applied to all of the houses in the villages. This day also marks the day of spring cleaning in most residences, from villages to cities. Gudi Padwa can also be identified by all of the bright colors that reside on the doors, porches, windows, and other residential orifices. Lastly, most families observe the tradition of consuming the leaves of the Neem tree in a belief that the blood and immune system will be purified.