Community bonds grow stronger with every shared festival. Apartments across the city are celebrating Ugadi, the traditional New Year of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and some parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, in a spirit of joy, cultural pride, and harmony. The festivities will include traditional decorations with mango leaves, rangoli at home entrances, devotional prayers, and the sharing of Ugadi Pachadi — symbolising the many flavours of life and the wisdom to accept them with grace. Parkwest residents will celebrate Ugadi at Club Uno with a series of cultural and festive activities. The event will feature Panchanga Shravana, a comedy talk by MS Narasimha Murthy, a cultural quiz, karaoke, and a rangoli competition, said Ajay Kumar TR, president of the Parkwest Apex Association. The celebrations will conclude with a traditional banana leaf dinner for about 1,000 residents. But beyond the rituals, the celebration carries a deeper message, said Hunaid Topiwala, vice-president of Mantri Pinnacle Residents’ Association. “In a diverse community comprising families from different regions, faiths, and cultures, Ugadi becomes an occasion not merely to mark the passage of time but to reaffirm the values of togetherness, mutual respect, and inclusiveness. As residents gather to greet the new year, the festival becomes a reminder that while traditions may differ, the spirit of goodwill and shared humanity unites all.” Ram Navami celebrations with Ram Sita Kalyanam Embassy Pristine, a vibrant community of 420 apartments in Bellandur, celebrates Ram Navami every year on a grand scale. The highlight of the celebration is the Shri Ram and Sita Devi Kalyanam, performed by priests on March 28. “Two resident couples take on the symbolic role of the parents of Shri Ram and Sita Devi, making the ceremony feel like a real traditional wedding within our community. Residents gather to witness and participate in this divine celebration,” said Pushpa Kumar, cultural secretary of the apartment. Before the wedding ceremony, the idols of Shri Ram and Sita Devi will be taken in a grand procession around the community, creating a festive and devotional atmosphere. The celebrations that begin with an ooregimpu (procession) are followed by bhajans and dance. After the ceremony, prasadam is distributed to all attendees. The celebrations then continue with the Akhanda Ramayana Parayan, where priests and residents come together to read the Ramayana continuously for 24 hours without a break.
