|
|
 Festivals
of Konkan (MAHARASHTRA)
The Konkany People are a hearty, festive people. The love for celebration is deeply ingrained in their culture and it finds expression through the various
occasions on the Maharashtrian calendar.
There is festivity all round the year and people cherish the good times with music, dance and delectable
food.
Nag Panchami
In Hindu mythology, the cobra has a special significance and the earth, it is
believed, rests on the head of 'Shesha' - the thousand-hooded cobra. Snake worship is an important ritual of the
Maharashtrians, and on the festival of
Nag Panchami, clay icons of cobras are venerated in homes. People offer sweets and milk to the snake deity and the day is celebrated with folk dances
and songs, especially in the countryside. Snake charmers carry cobras in baskets and collect offerings from the public in the streets. A small village
near Sangli, Battis Shirale, is famous for its snake catchers, and people throng the streets to watch the thrilling performances of expert snake
charmers.
Narali Pournima
The full moon day of the month of Shravan is celebrated with characteristic
fervour in different parts of Maharashtra and is known variously as Narali
Pournima, Shravani Pournima, Rakhi Pournima or Raksha Bandhan.
'Naral'
means 'coconut', and Narali Pournmia is thus called because offerings of coconuts are made by people to the sea-god on this day. Narali Pournima
also marks the advent of the new fishing season and fishermen appease the sea-god before sailing out in their gaily-decorated boats. The festival is a
day of singing and dancing.
Raksha Bandhan is also observed on this day. Sisters tie 'rakhis' or
beautifully decorated threads on their brothers' wrists. The ritual renews the bond of affection between siblings and signifies the brother's responsibility of
protecting his sister all her life.
Gokul Ashtami
The birth of Lord Krishna is celebrated on Gokul Ashtami or
Janmashtami.
Most devotees fast till midnight and when the birth of Lord Krishna is announced, they eat a festive preparation of rice, butter, yogurt, puris and
potatoes. This meal, according to Hindu mythology, was relished by Lord Krishna and his playmates in
Gokul. Another fun-filled ritual performed on
this day is dahi-handi - clay pots filled with curd, puffed rice and milk are strung high up above the streets and groups of enthusiastic young men (and
even women) form human pyramids to reach these and break them open, the way Lord Krishna and his friends would, after sneaking into the houses of
gopis (milkmaids) to steal and eat butter.
Ganesh Chaturthi
The most delectable offerings during Ganesh Chaturthi are modaks, small rice or wheat flour dumplings stuffed with coconut and jaggery. They are best when served with shudh ghee.
Lord Ganesh, the patron deity of
Maharashtra, is the God of wisdom. Come August, preparations to celebrate Ganesh
Chaturthi - the auspicious day when Lord Ganesh was born - begin with great enthusiasm all over the state. The 11-day
festival begins with the installation of beautifully sculpted Ganesh idols in homes
and mandaps (large tents), colourfully decorated, depicting religious themes or current events. The Ganesh idols are worshipped with families and
friends. Many cultural events are organised and people participate in them with keen interest. After ten exciting days comes the time to bid farewell to
the beloved God. People take Ganesh idols in procession to the accompaniment of music and dance for immersion in the sea or nearby river
or lake. Emotions run high as people chant 'Ganpati bappa moraya, pudhachya varshi lavkar ya' (Oh Lord Ganesh, please come back soon next
year).
Gudhi Padwa
'Gudhi' - the bamboo staff with a coloured silk cloth and a garlanded goblet
atop - symbolises victory or achievement. Maharashtrians erect gudhis on Padwa, the first day of the Hindu new year. People welcome the new year
with gudhi worship and distribute prasad comprising tender neem leaves, gram-pulse and
jaggery. Gudhi Padwa heralds the advent of a prosperous
new year and is considered as a shubh muhurat - one of the most auspicious days - by Hindus.
Dussehra
According to the great Hindu epic Ramayan, Dussehra is the day on which
Lord Ram killed Ravan, the evil king of Lanka. It is considered as a shubh-muharat - a very auspicious day - to start a
new venture. It is a symbol
of the victory of good over evil. People decorate the entrances of their homes with torans, flower studded strings, and worship the tools of trade,
vehicles, machinery, weapons and even books. As the evening falls, the
villagers cross the border, a ritual known as Simollanghan, and worship the Shami tree. The leaves of the Apta tree are collected and exchanged among
friends and relatives as gold.
 Diwali
 Diwali inspires a variety mouth-watering
preparations like
karanji, chakli, kadboli, anarsa, shankarpali and ladoos, consumed in Maharashtrian households by children and adults alike.
Diwali or Deepawali means a row of lights. The most beautiful of all Indian
festivals, Diwali is a celebration of lights. Streets are illuminated with rows of
clay lamps and homes are decorated with rangoli (coloured powder designs) and aakash
kandils (decorative lanterns of different shapes and sizes).
People rise at dawn, massage their bodies and hair with scented oil and take a holy bath. Diwali is celebrated with new clothes, spectacular firecrackers
and a variety of sweets in the company of family and friends.
Dhanatrayodashi; Narakchaturdashi, Amavasya (Laxmi poojan), Balipratipada and Yamadvitiya
(Bhaubeej) are the five days which comprise Diwali, and each day has a peculiar religious significance. This joyous celebration is, on the whole, symbolic of dispelling the darkness of misery
and bringing the light of prosperity and happiness into human life.
Makar Sankrant
Sankrant means the passing of the sun from one Zodiac sign to the other.
People exchange greeting and good wishes on this day, which marks the Sun's passage from the Tropic of Dhanu (Sagittarius) to Makar (Capricon).
Sweet and crunchy ladoos made of sesame and jaggery are the favourite treats.
Holi
On this spring festival day, people enjoy a puran
poli, a sweet, stuffed
chappati made of channa dal and refined flour (maida), served warm with clarified butter or a bowl of milk.
Other delicacies prepared exclusively for festival days are
shrikand,
motichur ladoo, basundi and kheer. Each year, after a successful winter harvest, people get ready to welcome
the spring with Holi - the festival of colours. Holis or bonfires are lit in the
night and people gather to worship the fire-god, who is believed to burn away all evil. On the next day, people of all ages come outside and playfully
drench each other with coloured water. Brightly coloured powders are applied on faces, and there is
plenty of music, dance and sweets to fill the
rest of the day. The exuberant display of colours symbolises the advent of a colourful and prosperous spring season.
|
Konkan Industry 
