Gudi Padwa, in March or April, is the Maharashtrian new year. A gudi — a bamboo pole with a bright cloth, neem leaves, a garland and an inverted copper or silver pot — goes up outside the house at sunrise. Girgaon holds a shobha yatra, a procession of thousands in traditional dress, with dhol-tasha pathaks and women riding motorcycles in nauvari sarees, which has become one of the sights of the city.
Mumbai keeps several other new years: Parsi Navroz, the Gujarati Bestu Varas the day after Diwali, and Poila Boishakh for the Bengalis in April.
The names
Places, groups and events| Name | Where | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Girgaon shobha yatra1990s | Girgaon, south Mumbai | The Gudi Padwa procession; thousands in traditional dress, dhol-tasha, and the motorcycle contingent. |
| Dombivli and Thane processions | beyond the city | The other large Gudi Padwa processions in the region. |
| The gudi itself | every Maharashtrian home | Bamboo, bright cloth, neem, garland and an inverted pot, raised at sunrise. |
| Shrikhand and puran poli | households and sweet shops | The festival food; the sweet shops sell shrikhand by the kilo that week. |
| Neem and jaggery | the home | Eaten at the start of the day: bitter and sweet together, for the year ahead. |
| Parsi Navroz | city-wide | The Parsi new year, in August; the Irani cafes and Parsi restaurants mark it. |
| Bestu Varas | city-wide | The Gujarati new year, the day after Diwali; the trading houses open new books. |
| Poila Boishakh | city-wide, April | The Bengali new year; halkhata, the new account book, in the Bengali businesses. |
| Dhol-tasha pathaks | Girgaon and the processions | Drum troupes; the same ones who lead the Ganpati visarjan. |
Worth knowing
- The Girgaon shobha yatra starts early; be there by seven.
- Neem and jaggery eaten together at the start of the day is the custom that matters.
- Shrikhand and puran poli are the festival food; order ahead.
- Mumbai keeps at least four new years, on four different dates.
- The trading communities open new account books on their own new year, not on 1 January.
The other festivals
Read the city another way
A note on this page. Festival dates move with the lunar calendar and arrangements change every year. Everything here is a snapshot of Mumbai as of 2026, offered as a starting point rather than a live listing. Check timings, routes and darshan rules before you travel.
Mandal, temple, shop and company names belong to their respective owners. Inclusion is for independent discovery only, not endorsement, ranking or affiliation.
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