Gudi Padwa 2027: Date, Tithi and the Start of Shaka 1949

Gudi Padwa in 2027 is on Wednesday, 7 April. The tithi that morning is Chaitra Shuddha Pratipada (चैत्र शु.१), the first day of the bright half of Chaitra. In Maharashtra it is the first day of the new year, and the Shalivahan Shaka count moves from 1948 to 1949.

The new moon before it, Phalgun Amavasya, ends at 5:20 am, in the early hours before Padwa. Panchak, which began in the night of 2 April, ends at 6:25 pm on Padwa day itself. The calendar also marks the day for abhyang snan, the oil bath taken before sunrise on festival mornings.

Gudi Padwa 2027 at a glance

How the gudi is put up

Families tie a bright cloth, usually a silk or cotton piece with a border, to the top of a long bamboo stick. Neem leaves, a mango twig, a garland of flowers and a string of sugar crystals called gathi go on with it, and a copper or silver pot is placed upside down on the tip. The gudi is raised at a window or on the terrace on the right side of the main door in the morning and is brought down before sunset.

Neem is part of the day in another way too. Many homes eat a small paste of neem leaves with jaggery, tamarind or cumin before breakfast. Doorways get fresh rangoli and a toran of mango leaves.

Chaitra festivals that follow

Padwa starts Chaitra Navratri. The nine days end with Ram Navami on Thursday, 15 April, which is also a public holiday. Hanuman Jayanti comes on Chaitra Pournima, Tuesday, 20 April. Akshaya Tritiya, one of the three and a half muhurats of the year, is on Sunday, 9 May.

All the dates for the month, with daily tithi and nakshatra, are on the April 2027 Marathi calendar page.