Maharashtra State, a state of various religions, traditions and cultures. People of this state celebrate numbers of festivals of different religions, their traditions, and their cultural occasions and also the national and state festivals. People not only celebrate their individual religious festivals but they also a part in the state fairs and festivals with lots of enthusiasm; these state festivals are organized by Maharashtra state’s MTDC Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation. These festivals of state contains music, dance and there are also other events which represent the culture of Maharashtra and life of Maharashtra to the tourists. Because in Maharashtra, there are many types of Religions are living happily; so that’s why there are many festivals which are celebrated in the different corner of the Maharashtra. Over the year, people of Maharashtra celebrate their traditional festivals.
The wonder about their festival is each and every person celebrates it, with a huge interest and energy. If you want experience and absorb the real Maharashtra, then you should visit it, in the festive season. You will get to see the all vibrant colors of festival and also customs, traditions, rituals and costumes too. Music, songs and dance with all three, not even one festival can be complete; they have different types of songs, forms of dances on different festival. Maharashtra’s festivals are the major attraction of Maharashtra state which attracts entire world’s dancers, weavers, and painters, musicians to join and enjoy the joyful culture of state. On every festival, they have different cuisines which are related to those particular festive occasions. That’s why you will get the chance to taste variety of flavors in one state.
The meaning of Sankrant is sun is passing from one sign of Zodiac to other sign. From this festival; Maharashtra’s festivals get started. On the day of Makar Sankranti, Maharashtrian people give the greeting to relative, friends and well-wishers; this signifies that the sun is passing from Zodiac sign of Sagittarius to Zodiac Sign Capricorn. On Makar Sankranti day, ladies of house make sweets and ladoos which are usually made by using the jaggery and sesame. These sweets are the specialty of that day.
This is festival of different bright and vibrant colors; this Holi festival celebrates by the people on the next day, of full moon in the starting month of March in every year. This festival is not only state festival but it is a national festival; it celebrates in the whole India with lots of energy and joy. Holi is a mark; which signifies the winter season is finishing. People also believe that, the celebration is symbol of breakdown of bad things through good things. All age group people enjoy this festival, and play with the different colors. As per the change of time, now people are became little bit careful about the environment, that’s why now they try to use natural color, which supports the nature. Singings, dancing are also included in this festival.
This day is a New Year day for the Maharashtra’s Marathi religion’s people. Because from this festival, their Hindu Year get starts by the month of Chaitra. In Maharashtra state, this festival is called as Gudhi Padva. On this festive day, people wake up early in the morning and try to keep clean and tidy their house. They also decorate their house with the help of flowers and leaves and also by making Rangoli in front of the house, to welcome the happiness and peace. They tie the silk cloth or any fabric to the peak of bamboo and over that they cover the top by brass glass or it called as Kalash; then they tie the whole bamboo outside the house but it should touch the house. People believe that because of this traditional custom; take away the evil and all bad souls from the home.
It is a major festival of Maharashtra, or you can say it is a soul festival of Maharashtra state. Ganesh Chaturthi festival is celebrated by the almost all religions of the state, during the month of August to September. This festival is celebrates as a birth anniversary of the Lord Ganesh, he is a god of Hindu religion. From one month before all people starts the preparation of this festival. All the decoration of Ganesh idol, lighting, flowers, various types of cuisines, materials to complete all other customs of Ganesh etc work takes almost one month. The duration of Ganesh Chaturthi festival is seven to ten days. In the ten days, people worship the Lord Ganesh’s idol through pujas, havens, Aarti and other traditional rituals on each day. People visit the relative’s house to take the Darshan of Ganesh idol. On the end of the day of festival which is known as Chaturthi, people bring their Ganesh idols, accompany with dance and music and immersed the idol in the flowing ocean water. Thousands of devotes come up with their beloved Lord Ganesh, to the ocean.
This festival is celebrated by the people in the August month. This day or festival is dedicated to the god of sea Vaurna. This festival comes, when the monsoon season is getting to finish and it is largely celebrated by the Maharashtra state’s fishermen. In the preparation of this festival, fishermen first starts to paint their boats and they broke the coconut and submitted to the god of sea. They also immersed the small oil lamps into the waves of the sea.
This festival is a national festival, celebrated by the whole nation. It is very much famous festival and celebrated with the help of oil lamps. The duration of the Diwali is 5 days, this festival is celebrated because on the day of Diwali, Lord Rama came back to his home with his wife Mother Goddess Sita. That’s why people lit up the lamps everywhere and celebrate the victory of Lord Rama. People decorate their houses by using oil lamps, Rangoli, electric lights, flowers; people mostly take new things in this festival. They also lit up the fireworks and crackers. During the Diwali days, everybody worship the Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and wealth and the New Hindu year is also started in this festival.
This festival is organized in the Maharashtra’s Pune city by MTDC. This Pune festival week is all about the culture and art of the Pune. This is a very unique and good festival which gives the encouragement to the upcoming artists; appreciate and showcase the art and talent of the existing artists. This also helps to publicize the new trends of arts, performing art, and reminds the traditional art. Tourists and visitors of the Pune city participate in this festival. The main motto of this festival is to display the local culture and talent.
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