Is Gudhi Paadawaa the Indrotsava mentioned in the Mahabharata?!
गुढी पडवा (Gudhi Padawaa) is celebrated as the Hindu new year in Maharashtra and parts of Goa and Karnataka. This is the first day in the month of चैत्र (Chaitra) which occurs at the beginning of spring and is celebrated with different names and slight variations across India, that is, Bharat.
The origins of this festival go way back in antiquity and a description that comes in a story in the Mahabharata has incredible similarities to how the festival is celebrated even today!
This story is in the 63rd Adhyaaya of the Adiparva (Gita Press edition) and is about Raja Uparichara Vasu (उपरिचर वसु), the father of Satyavati and the grandfather of Maharshi Ved Vyas who is the author of the Mahabharata.
Raja Uparichara was the king of Chedidesha (चेदिदेश). The kingdom of Chedidesha was a prosperous one in both material and natural wealth and was gifted to Uparichara by the lord of the Devas, Indra, himself. Chedidesha was abundant in beautiful forests full of varied species of animals and birds. The land was also plentiful in grains and food. It was rich in minerals and gems as well. The people of that kingdom always spoke the truth, were wise, disciplined and content. They were responsible in carrying out their duties, were kind to animals and took care of the elderly and helpless members of their society.
Indra gifted Uparichara a divine flying machine, a vimaana, made of crystal as well as a Indramaala, a garland made of lotuses that never withered and that would protect the king from the enemy's weapons during a war. In fact, his name Uparichara came about as he was "upari (above) chara (travel/move)" or one who traveled or moved about above the earth in this vimaana.
The last gift that Indra bestowed on Uparichara was a bamboo stick which was said to protect good people. After one year, the king put this stick in the ground to worship and honor Indra. On the pratipadaa* day of the new year, the stick was taken out from the ground and placed on a high spot and decorated with a cloth, sandalwood paste, flower garlands and ornaments. Cotton threads were wrapped around it and Indra was worshiped. Indra himself came in the form of a swan to accept the offerings. Indra was very pleased with the worship and offerings and blessed the king saying whosever worships me on this day in this same way, they and their kingdom or country will progress day after day being blessed with victory and prosperity.
This festival was celebrated every year by Uparichara and was known as "Indrotsava (इंद्रोत्सव)" or the festival of Indra.
The Indrotsava as described in the Mahabharata has incredible similarity to the modern day Gudhi Padhawaa and provides yet another amazing instance of how this is a continuously living civilization for the past several thousand years!
Reference
Below are the relevant shloka along with the Hindi translation from Gita Press, from the 63rd Adhyaaya of the Adiparva:
यष्टिं च वैणवीं तस्मै ददौ वृत्रनिषूदनः । इष्टप्रदानमुद्दिश्य शिष्टानां प्रतिपालिनीम् ।। १७ ।।
ऐसा कहकर वृत्रासुरका नाश करनेवाले इन्द्रने राजाको प्रेमोपहारस्वरूप बाँसकी एक छड़ी दी, जो शिष्ट पुरुषोंकी रक्षा करनेवाली थी ।। १७ ।।
तस्याः शक्रस्य पूजार्थं भूमौ भूमिपतिस्तदा । प्रवेशं कारयामास गते संवत्सरे तदा ।। १८ ।।
तदनन्तर एक वर्ष बीतनेपर भूपाल वसुने इन्द्रकी पूजाके लिये उस छड़ीको भूमिमें गाड़ दिया ।। १८ ।।
ततः प्रभृति चाद्यापि यष्टेः क्षितिपसत्तमैः | प्रवेशः क्रियते राजन् यथा तेन प्रवर्तितः || १९ ।।
राजन्! तबसे लेकर आजतक श्रेष्ठ राजाओंद्वारा छड़ी धरतीमें गाड़ी जाती है। वसुने जो प्रथा चला दी, वह अबतक चली आती है ।। १९ ।।
अपरेद्युस्ततस्तस्याः क्रियतेऽत्युच्छ्रयो नृपैः । अलंकृतायाः पिटकैर्गन्धमाल्यैश्च भूषणैः ।। २० ।।
माल्यदामपरिक्षिप्ता विधिवत् क्रियतेऽपि च । भगवान् पूज्यते चात्र हंसरूपेण चेश्वरः ।। २१ ।।
दूसरे दिन अर्थात् नवीन संवत्सरके प्रथम दिन प्रति-पदाको वह छड़ी वहाँसे निकालकर बहुत ऊँचे स्थानमें रखी जाती है; फिर कपड़ेकी पेटी, चन्दन, माला और आभूषणोंसे उसको सजाया जाता है। उसमें विधिपूर्वक फूलोंके हार और सूत लपेटे जाते हैं। तत्पश्चात् उसी छड़ीपर देवेश्वर भगवान् इन्द्रका हंसरूपसे पूजन किया जाता है ।। २०-२१ ।।
स्वयमेव गृहीतेन वसोः प्रीत्या महात्मनः । स तां पूजां महेन्द्रस्तु दृष्ट्वा देवः कृतां शुभाम् ।। २२ ।।
वसुना राजमुख्येन प्रीतिमानब्रवीत् प्रभुः । ये पूजयिष्यन्ति नरा राजानश्च महं मम ।। २३ ।।
कारयिष्यन्ति च मुदा यथा चेदिपतिर्नृटपः । तेषां श्रीर्विजयश्चैव सराष्ट्राणां भविष्यति ।। २४ ।।
इन्द्रने महात्मा वसुके प्रेमवश स्वयं हंसका रूप धारण करके वह पूजा ग्रहण की। नृपश्रेष्ठ वसुके द्वारा की हुई उस शुभ पूजाको देखकर प्रभावशाली भगवान् महेन्द्र प्रसन्न हो गये और इस प्रकार बोले- 'चेदिदेशके अधिपति उपरिचर वसु जिस प्रकार मेरी पूजा करते हैं, उसी तरह जो मनुष्य तथा राजा मेरी पूजा करेंगे और मेरे इस उत्सवको रचायेंगे, उनको और उनके समूचे राष्ट्रको लक्ष्मी एवं विजयकी प्राप्ति होगी ।। २२-२४ ।।
* - first day after the new moon that marks the beginning of a new month in the luni-solar Hindu calendar
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