Ugadi / Gudi Padwa in Ahmedabad

Date and timing in this city

In Ahmedabad, the festival of Chaitra Shukla Pratipada — observed as Ugadi in the Deccan and as Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra — falls on Thursday 19 March 2026. The following year it falls on Wednesday 7 April 2027. These are the dates computed for Ahmedabad's own sunrise, in the Asia/Kolkata time zone.

The tithi is Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, the first day of the bright half of the lunar month Chaitra. Because the tithi is defined by the moon's movement rather than by the clock, its beginning and end do not align with the ordinary calendar day. A panchang prepared for Ahmedabad therefore gives the local sunrise and the span of the tithi at that place, and the observance is tied to that local calculation.

Why the date can differ from India

It is common for the same festival to appear on different dates in different parts of India, and even for a city's date to differ from a national listing. Two reasons are usually at work.

• Sunrise differs by location. The tithi is reckoned against the sunrise of a given place. When a tithi begins or ends close to sunrise, a small difference in longitude can move the observance by a day.
• Tradition differs by region. Some communities follow the amanta reckoning, in which the month ends at the new moon; others follow the purnimanta reckoning, in which it ends at the full moon. Smarta and Vaishnava households may also differ on which moment governs the ritual.

For this reason, readers are best served by a panchang computed for their own city rather than a general national date. Where traditions differ, both readings are held as valid within their own lineages.

Where and how the community celebrates

Ugadi and Gudi Padwa are the lunar new year observances of the Deccan and the western coast — chiefly Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra. In Ahmedabad, these are the communities that keep the day, alongside others who follow the same tithi.

The day is associated with Brahma, and the tone is one of beginning: the year is named, the almanac is read, and households turn toward what is ahead. Customs vary by family and region. A Gudi is raised in Maharashtrian homes; Ugadi pachadi and the reading of the panchang belong to the Deccan traditions. In a city like Ahmedabad, families often keep the form they inherited, so the details differ from house to house.

Practical tips

• Check a panchang prepared for Ahmedabad for the local sunrise and the exact span of Chaitra Shukla Pratipada.
• Note the date for your own city if you live elsewhere; the tithi may shift by a day.
• Follow your family's or lineage's convention on amanta and purnimanta rather than mixing the two.
• For anything tied to your own chart, consult a qualified jyotishi.