Top 10 Festivals in Maharashtra

Marathi people celebrate the festivals all the year, all are enthusiastic and have a special target to have the festivals.  Each festival has separate food item that includes too much fun, especially for kids.  In all festivals, blessings are important from your parents, teachers, and elder once.  Some are related to parents, some are related to siblings, some are related to a spouse, some are related to their families as well.  This is the way to show gratitude for the people you adore.  This brings more perfect bonds among all the relations.  We will be going through the top 10 festivals in detail.

Gudi Padwa –

The year starts on the first day of Chaitra known as Gudi Padwa] which falls around March or April of the Western calendar. A gudi or victory pole is erected outside the house on this day. The special dish on the day includes Shreekhand. Neem leaves are eaten on this day to ward off illness during the new year. Gudi Padwa, like Diwali Padwa and Dasara, is considered one of the three and a half auspicious days of the Marathi calendar. Astrological charts need not be consulted for conducting important ceremonies, such as weddings, on these days. During Chaitra, women also hold a Haladi-Tunku celebration. Chaitra is, however, considered inauspicious for weddings.

Makar Sankranti –

This mostly falls on January 14 when the Sun enters Capricorn. In Maharashtra, the day is celebrated by giving and receiving sweets made of jaggery and sesame seeds called tilgool and halwa. During the exchanging of the sweets, people say to each other in Marathi “Til-gool Ghya aani God Bola” (rough translation Please accept my til-gool & be friendly to me or Take sweet, talk sweet”). Special chappati with jaggery (gool poli) is the dish of the day.

Mangala Gaur –

Pahili Mangala Gaur (first Mangala Gaur) celebration is one of the most important celebrations for the new brides. On the Tuesday of the month of Shravan after her marriage, the new bride performs Shivling puja for the well-being of her husband and new family. It is also a get-together for all women folks. It includes chatting, playing games, Ukhane (married women take their husband’s name woven in 2/4 rhyming liners), and great food. They typically play Jhimma, Fugadi, Bhendya till the wee hours of the next morning

Ram Navmi –

Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti, the birthdays of Shree Ramchandra and Hanuman respectively are also celebrated in the month of Chaitra. Sunthawada/dinkawada, a snack usually eaten by new mothers is the snack of the day for Ram Navami.

Kojagiri Purnima –

In autumn Full Moon night is celebrated with sweetened milk. The firstborn in the family is also honored on this night.

Champa Shashti –

A six-day festival, from the first to sixth lunar day of the bright fortnight of the Hindu month of Margashirsh, in honor of Khandoba is celebrated by many deshastha families. Ghatasthapana, similar to Navaratri, also takes place in Deshastha households during this festival. The sixth day is called Champa Sashthi.

Maha Shivratri –

Worship day of Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva is pleased with austerities, so no sweets are prepared. A chutney made the fruit of the Kawath tree (curd fruit, elephant apple, monkey fruit, or wood apple) is the specialty of this day.

Navaratri –

This festival starts on the first day of the Hindu month of Ashvin. The nine-day festival of Durga culminates in Vijayadashami (Dasara). This is one of the three auspicious days of the year. Traditionally, stars need not be consulted for starting a new project on this day. People also exchange leaves of Apti tree as a symbol of gold. During Navaratri women and girls hold bhondla, a singing party in honor of the Goddess. Some families also observe Navaratri in the spring season in addition to the Navaratri observed in winter.

Ganesh Utsav –

Festival of Lord Ganesh. Through, Lokamanya Tilak’s efforts Ganeshotsav became a public celebration a century ago. However, families install their own clay (called shadu in Marathi) Ganpati in their house on Ganesh Chaturthi for family observation of the festival. The private celebration can go on for 1½ days to full 10 days according to each family’s tradition. A Modak (steamed rice dumpling usually with a jaggery/coconut filling) is a sweet prepared for this occasion and is considered the favorite of Lord Ganesh. Ganeshotsav also incorporates the Gauri festival. people install statues of the Gauri. some people on the other hand use special rocks as symbols of Gauri. In some families, Gauri is also known as Mahalakshmi Puja. It is celebrated for three days; on the first day, Mahalakshmi’s arrival is observed. The ladies in the family will bring statues of Mahalakshmi from the door to the place where they will be worshipped. They are settled at a certain location (very near the Devaghar), adorned with clothes and ornaments. On the second day, the family members get together and prepare a meal of Puran poli. This day is the puja day of Mahalakshmi and the meal is offered to Mahalakshmi and her blessings sought. On the third day, Mahalakshmi goes to her husband’s home. Before the departure, ladies in the family will invite the neighborhood ladies for an exchange of Haldi-kumkum. It is customary for the whole family to get together during the three days of Mahalakshmi puja. Most families consider Mahalakshmi as their daughter who is living with her husband’s family all the year but visits her parents’ (Maher) during the three days.

Diwali –

The festival of lights is celebrated over five days by the people of Maharashtra. Families celebrate this by waking up early in the morning and having an oil bath. People light their houses with lamps and burst firecrackers over the course of the festival. Special sweets and savories like anarse, karanji, Chakli, chivda, Ladoo are prepared for the festival. Vibrant Rangoli is made in front of the house. Kids make a replica fort in memory of  Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the great Maratha leader.