What is the proper procedure of celebrating new year?

Question

Yesterday, it was seen how some Hindus were overexcited in celebrating the Christian New Year in a typical European fashion. Yet the same enthusiasm is absent while observing the Hindu New Year, which is mostly limited to rather non-religious activities like carrying out processions, cleaning houses, eating good food & wearing new clothes. This might be due to ignorance about the related rites, as New Year celebrations aren't mentioned much in religious literature. So what is the proper way to ritualistically observe Hindu New Year ?

Answer 1

New Year according to the Hindu lunar calendar, falls on Caitra śuklā pratipada.

Viṣṇudharmottara Purāṇa prescibes the worship Brahmā in the morning on that day after keeping a fast on the previous day alongside His āvaraṇa-devatās & other deities of time & donation of gold.

The other deities to be worshipped on the New Year according to the Nīlamata Purāṇa are

1. The 9 grahas
2. The 28 nakṣatras
3. The 14 manus
4. The 14 Indras
5. The 4 yugas
6. The 5 saṁvatsaras
7. The 2 ayanas
8. The 6 seasons
9. The 12 months
10. The 2 pakṣas
11. The 16 tithis
12. The 11 karaṇas
13. The 30 muhūrtas
14. The 12 raśis
15. The 4 aims of life
16. The 4 dikpālas
17. The 8 lokapālas accompanied with their wives, children & hordes
18. The daughters of Dakṣa alongside their respective husbands.
19. Kuvera accompanied with the treasures Śaṅkha & Padma, his wives Ṛddhi & Siddhi , son Nalakuvara & yakṣas
20. Garuṛa accompanied by Aruṇa, birds & serpents
21. The 7 dvīpas
22. The 7 oceans
23. The 7 varṣas
24. The 7 underworld realms
25. The 7 lokas
26. The 5 tattvas
27. The supporters of the Earth (Kālagnirudra, Ādhāraśakti, Kūrma & Śeṣa)
28. The mountains
29. The rivers
30. The tirthas
31. The 7 metres
32. Skanda accompanied by Śākha, Viśākha & Naigameya
33. Gaṇeśa accompanied by vināyakas
34. Airavata accompanied by elephants
35. Suravī accompanied by cattle
36. Uccaiḥśravā accompanied by horses
37. Fever personified accompanied by other diseases
38. The scriptures personified alongside their promulgators
39. Sarasvatī accompanied by the personifications of the Vedas, Upavedas & Vedaṅgas
40. The apsarās accompanied by the gandharvas
41. The vālakhilyas
42. The 7 sages
43. Kaśyapa, Agastya & Nārada
44. The 2 Aśvins
45. The 12 Ādityas
46. The 8 vasus
47. The 12 sādhyas
48. The 12 Bhārgavas
49. The 10 Āṅgirasas
50. Viśvakarmā

[The list turns out to be roughly synonymous with those who attend Brahmā's court mentioned in the Sabhāparva of Mahābhārata]

All of them are to be propitiated by homa with ghee, raw rice grains, raw barley grains & sesamum followed by feeding of brāhmaṇas & wearing of new clothes.

Viṣṇudharmottara Purāṇa also mentions the following vratas to be performed on that day

1. Initiation of Brāhmipratipatvrata - This involves the votary worshipping Brahmā on every śuklā pratipada day for the entire year, ending on the next Caitra suklā pratipada by donation of a cow to a brāhmaṇa.

2. Initiation of Tṛmūrtivrata - This involves the votary worshipping Brahmā on the first day accompanied with homa with kṣīra (condensed milk), consumption of only curd on that day & donation of a kṣīra-filled iron vessel with gold to a brahmaṇa, worshipping Viṣṇu on the second day accompanied by donation of tṛlauha (gold, silver & copper) to a brāhmaṇa, worshipping Rudra on the third day accompanied by homa with ghee, complete abstinence from food & donation of a ghee-filled iron vessel with gold to a brāhmaṇa and special bath on the fourth day accompanied by donation of tṛmadhu (ghee mixed with honey & sugar) to a brāhmaṇa & consumption of the same. This same procedure is to be repeated on every 1st 3 days of the bright half of the fortnight throughout the year.

3. Initiation of Puruṣapratipatvrata - This involves the votary worshipping Viṣṇu, recitation of Puruṣasūkta while immersed in water, performing tarpaṇa of Viṣṇu 8 times, performing homa with ghee, donation of gold to a brāhmaṇa & consumption of only milk at night. This is to be repeated in every pratipada day in both halves of the fortnight throughout the year.

4. Initiation of Prakṛtipuruṣavrata - This involves the votary worshipping Viṣṇu in fire & Lakṣmī in water accompanied by homa with kṣīra mixed with ghee & donation of gold & silver to a brāhmaṇa. This is to be repeated on every śuklāpratipada day throughout the year.

Nīlamata Purāṇa describes the following preparatory rites of New Year

1. Leaving food offerings for piśācas in tree-shades, cowsheds, places where 4 roads meet, highways, abandoned houses, riverbanks, mountain peaks & śmaśānas at the night of Caitra kṛṣṇā caturdaśī after worshipping Nikumbha, the king of piśācas & keeping awake throughout the night by enjoying music & dance
2. Feeding dogs after performing the regular pārvaṇa-śrāddha on Caitrī amāvasyā

Nīlamata Purāṇa also recommends performance of grahaśāntiyagña, nakṣatraśāntiyagña & mahāśāntiyagña on this day.

Quoting various Smṛti texts, Nirṇayasindhu mentions the following rites to be observed on this day

1. Refraining from applying oil during bath
2. Donating a water-fountain or a water-filled pot to a brāhmaṇa.
3. Initiation of Caitra Navarātri

New Year according to Hindu solar calendar falls on Meṣa saṁkrānti, which is celebrated by Bengali (Pohela Boisakh), Axomiya (Bohag Bihu), Maithili (Jur Shital), Odia (Pana Samkranti), Tamil (Puthandu) & Malayali (Vishu) Hindus. Since most of the Hindu rituals are observed on the basis of the Hindu lunar calendar, celebration of the Hindu solar new year is without much liturgical pomp. Rites specific to saṁkrānti days (performing special śrāddha & donating pots filled with eatables to a brāhmaṇa) are prescribed for this day.

Gudi Padwa as observed by Marathi Hindus appears to be remnant of the Śakradhvaja ceremony. This ceremony was to be performed only by kings & involved hoisting a flag consecrated to Indra for maintaining sovereignty.