With a wide range of communities and castes residing
in Maharashtra people celebrates every festival with equal gusto. Right
from Diwali and Holi to Pateti, and from X Mass to Id- Ul- Fitr every
festival is celebrated in its true spirit reinforcing a multicultural
and multiethnic nature of the state.
Despite the zeal that Maharastrians show in every festival, the stock
of fervor is renewed for Ganesh Chaturthi, a festival that has become
synonymous with the Mumbai city. Annually celebrated in August or
September, this 10-day long festival is an excuse for sheer enjoyment.
The immersion of larger-than-life idols of Lord Ganesha into the sea
marks the culmination of this festivity.
These idols are taken out in huge processions with incessant chants of "Ganpati
Bappa Moreya". Known as 'Visarjan' in the local parlance, this
submersion of the idols into the sea, presents quite a spectacle,
especially on the Chowpatty beach.
Held in March or April every year, Gudi Padva or the Maharashtrian New
Year is also celebrated with an equal zeal. Marking the beginning of the
Hindu Solar Year, this festival is dedicated to a potter's son named
Sahalivan who is known for overthrowing the Gupta Dynasty of Malwa.
The shrill sounds of 'Govinda Ala Re' will fill your ears if you visit
the state during Janmashtami that is celebrated to commemorate the birth
of Lord Krishna. Very popular amongst the youth of Maharashtra, this
festival observes clay pots full of curd, butter and coins suspended on
ropes across the city streets.
This tradition is followed in sync with the extraordinary weakness of
Lord Krishna for curd and butter. It is believed that the Lord could go
to any extent to steal these. That practice is followed till date in the
form of breaking this Dahi Handi.
To test the skill of young boys, these earthen pots full of curd are
suspended from a great height. Young men form huge human pyramids and
try to break these clay pots. They get cash as reward when they manage
to do this.
Home to a huge Parsi population, the Persian New Year is also
observed with great fanfare at Mumbai. Popularly known as Pateti, this
eight-day annual festival falls in August every year. It is believed
that the Parsis residing in India are the descendants from Persian
Zoroastrians who they emigrated from Persia (modern Iran) more than
1,000 years ago.
Besides the festivals listed here Maharashtra Tourism also keeps
organizing various festivals of tourist interest that come as an excuse
to celebrate the glorious architectural heritage of the region. The
Elephanta and Ellora festivals held at these caves is one such festival
that brings many renowned classical vocal artists from all over the
country together for illuminating these caves.
