This festival is supposed to mark the beginning of the season,Vasant (Spring).This is the first day of Marathi Calendar.According to the Brahma Purana, this is the day on which Brahma created the world after the deluge and time began move from this day forth. This is one of the 3 and a half days in the Indian Lunar calendar called "Sade-Teen Muhurt", whose every moment is considered auspicious in general to start a new venture.On Gudhipadwa, courtyards in village houses are swept clean and plastered with cow-dung.

On this auspicious and festive day,people start the spring-cleaning.Women and children work on intricate rangoli designs at their doorsteps with the vibrant colours mirroring the burst of colour associated with spring. A 'Toran' ie string with mango leaves is hung on the front door.In the cities, people do special cleaning and dress up in new clothes.The courtyards in village houses will be swept clean and plastered with fresh cow-dung. It is the time for family gatherings.

* Curds - 1/2 kg.
* Sugar - 300 gms.
* Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp.
* Strands saffron - little quantity,
* Crushed Pista and almonds - 1/2 tbsp.

Procedure -

1* Tie curd in a muslin cloth for about 7 hours in the night,
2* Mix it with sugar in a bowl,
3* Allow the sugar to dissolve for about 30 mins,
4* Dissolve the saffron into 1 tbsp. milk and keep aside,
5* Beat well till sugar has fully dissolved into curd,
6* Pass through a big holed strong strainer, pressing with hand or spatula
7* Mix in cardamom powder and dissolved saffron and broken nuts
8* Top it with remaining crushed nuts,almonds and pistas,
9* Keep it in fridge for some time,

Now serve the Shrikhand to your guests.

Puri

ngredients -

* Oil for deep frying,
* Chappati flour - 3 cups,
* Water at room temperature - 3 cup,  
* Ghee for brushing the bread while rolling out the dough. 

Procedure -

1*  Take flour in a big pan and make a hole in the middle to add a water in it,
2*  Rinse the mixture of flour -water form the centre to outwards, until the dough becomes rough mass, 3*  Make the dough becomes elastic and silky smoot,
4*  Cover with a wet cloth so that the dough does not dry out,
5*  Make small balls of the dough and cover them with damp cloth,
6*  Take a ball of dough and dip a corner of ball in oil or ghee,then roll into 4 to 5 inches round mass,
7*  Repeat the same process to roll as many puris you want,
8*  Put oil in a kadhai (round metal pot) and put oil to fill it half and heat the oil till red-hot.
9*  Dip fry pooris in it so that it swell up like a ball and becomes golden brown,

Serve the hot puris to enjoy with Shrikhand.