The New Year Festivals are celebrated all around the world by the following communities.

Losoong and Mela Losar
Losoong is the Sikkimese New Year. This Buddhist festival marks the end of the harvest season and is celebrated with great feasting at home. Losar, though this is the Tibetan New Year, this is apparently is more respected by the Sikkimese society than Losoong. Himalayan Buddhist communities celebrate this festival, especially at Dharamsala. They celebrate it by making offerings to the gods, both in gompas and in their domestic shrines. Ancient rituals mark the festival, stage fights between good and evil and passing through the crowds with fire torches. Archery contests are held amidst much feasting and merry making.

Ugadi
It is the New Year day in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh. The Telegu New Year falls on the first day of the month of Chaitra (March-April). People in Andhra Pradesh, the southeastern Indian coastal state believe that Lord Brahma began the creation of the universe on this auspicious day of Ugadi. This day marks the beginning of a new Hindu lunar calendar with a change in the moon`s orbit. It is a day when mantras are chanted and predictions made for the New Year. Traditionally, the panchangasravanam or listening to the yearly calendar was done at the temples. Ugadi is also an auspicious day to embark on any new endeavor.

People prepare for the New Year by cleaning and washing their houses and buying new clothes. The New Year is marked with the ritually purifying bath. On the Ugadi day, they decorate their houses with mango leaves, marigold and "rangoli" designs, and pray for a prosperous new year. In the southern states, puligore-a sour tamarind rice dish, bobbatlu, holige- sweet stuffed bread and Ugadi Pachadi made of jagerry, raw mango pieces, neem flowers and tamarind is prepared. In the evening, families share in the vadais and payasams that have been cooking all day in the family kitchen.

Naba Barsha
In Bengal, April 14th is celebrated as Naba Varsha. The Bengali New Yearday begins with prabhat pheries (early morning processions), songs and dance to welcome the New Year. A dip in river Ganga or any other tank is another essential feature of the day`s ritual. After the dip, prayers are offered to the Lord. The people also bedeck their houses with rangoli (floral patterns) drawn at the entrance of their homes with a paste made of rice powder. With powdered rice, the housewife makes beautiful designs called alpana on the floor. New projects are initiated on this day.

Puthandu
The Tamil New Year Day is called "Puthandu Vazthukal" - which means "Happy New Year" and it is celebrated across the world on April 14 every year. The Tamils regard this day as the day of creation by Lord Brahma. The favorite food of the festival is the "Maanga Pachadi" - made of raw mangoes, jaggery and neem flowers. Its sweet-sour-bitter taste signifies the many moods of life. On the Tamil New Year`s Day, a big Car Festival is held at Tiruvadamarudur near Kumbakonam. Festivals are also held at Tiruchirapalli, Kanchipuram and many other places.

Vishu / Kollum New Year
In Kerala, the New Year is called "Vishu", or the Kollum New Year, which is the first day in the first month of Medam in Kerala. The Malayalis - begin the day early in the morning by visiting the temple and seeing any auspicious sight, which they call "Vishukani." It is characterised in Malayali homes, by the `first sighting` (Vishukkani) of auspicious articles ceremoniously placed before a lamp. People wear new clothes - "Kodi vastram" - and celebrate the day by bursting firecrackers and enjoying a variety of delicacies at an elaborate lunch called the "sadya" with family and friends. Elders give cash presents to dependents and relatives younger to them. This is called Kayneettam (extending the hand). People decorate their homes with flowers and offer prayers for a bountiful harvest in the forthcoming agricultural season. The afternoon and evening is spent in the "Vishuwela" - the New Year fair.

In Tamil Nadu, ceremonial processions are taken out, with richly caparisoned elephants swinging along to the beat of drums. The day is full of the elaborate traditional rituals with tokens called "Vishukaineetam", usually in form of coins, being distributed among the downtrodden.

Gudi Padwa
Gudi Padwa is celebrated on the first day of the Chaitra month, and is celebrated as the Maharashtrian New Year. This festival is supposed to mark the beginning of Vasant or spring. According to the Brahma Purana, this is the day on which Brahma created the world after the deluge and time began to tick from this day forth. This is one of the 3 and a half days in the Hindu Lunar Calender, whose every moment is considered auspicious.

Goru
The Assamese New Year (Bihu) falls on April 15 and April 14 happens to be the Assamese New Year eve. The Goru Bihu or the cattle festival is celebrated on the Hindu New Year`s Day (April/ May). The first day of the Bihu is called goru bihu or cow bihu. It falls on the last day of the previous year, usually on April 14. The cows are washed, decorated and worshipped. They are smeared with turmeric and are treated to gur (jaggery) and brinjals. This day is followed by manuh (human) Bihu on April 15, the New Year Day.