Confusion prevailed on Monday as the Andhra Pradesh government organised the 'official' Ugadi celebrations and declared a general holiday even as some religious scholars advised that the event should be celebrated only on Tuesday.

They felt that ushering in the New Year on a day coinciding partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahanam) and new moon (Amavasya) would be inauspicious for the people and a bad omen for the state. As a way-out of the controversy, the state government has declared an optional holiday on Tuesday, too.

Ugadi marks the New Year for Telugu people who follow the southern Indian lunar calendar based on the Shalivahana era which began in the year corresponding to 78 AD of the Gregorian calendar. It is a day when special mantras are chanted and predictions are made for the New Year.

This Telugu New Year-- 1929-- as per the Saka calendar -- is designated as Sarvajith Nama Samvatswaram.

The controversy, however, delayed the Ugadi celebrations by a few hours. During the partial solar eclpise, most people remained indoors and did not eat or bathe. Women chewed Tulsi leaves to cleanse the ill-effects of the eclipse. The Ugadi celebrations got underway only after purification ceremony was conducted and special pujas were offered soon after the eclipse ended.

At the official function at Ravindra Bharati in the city, the religious almanac was read out and the general forecast for the year was made. Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy defended the decision to celebrate Ugadi on Monday in spite of the partial solar eclipse. He said that the State Government decided on this date only after consulting religious scholars and almanac experts.

In fact, the state government had earlier notified March 20 as the Ugadi holiday. But the government was flooded with representations from pundits and other religious scholars who felt that March 19 was the appropriate day. The Endowments Department on March 7 convened a meeting of religious experts on the subject. As many as 33 religious scholars, including peethadhipathis, mathadhipathis, agama pundits, astrologers and panchanaga karthas (almanac writers) favoured celebrating Ugadi on March 19 and only six differed and wanted the celebration on March 20. The state government finally notified March 19.

Despite the state government's decision to advance the celebrations to March 19, all the major temples in the state, including Tirumala-Tirupati Devasthanam, Kanakadurga, Srisailam, Simhachalam, Annavaram and Bhadrachalam temples, are conducting the prescribed rituals for Sarvajit Nama Samvatswaram on March 20.