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Madhya Pradesh Fairs and Festivals
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Madhya Pradesh Fairs and Festivals
The traditional religious festivals of the Hindus,
Muslims and other communities are also celebrated
in Madhya Pradesh enthusiastically like in the
rest of India. Besides this festival, tribal fairs
and festivals are also celebrated here, every
year. The tribal fairs celebrate the ethnic
life-styles of the colourful tribes of the land.
Some of the fairs and festivals which are
celebrated in Madhya Pradesh are Madai Festival,
Bhagoriya Festival, Karma Festival, Nagaji Fair
and Mahashivratri. The Khajuraho Dance Festival
and the Tansen Music Festival in Gwalior are the
famous cultural festivals.
Madai Festival
Madai Festival is one of the unique attraction of
Bastar. The Madai festival is held in the villages
extending from Mandla to Bastar. The Gonds came to
Bastar from far off places to meet their kith and
kin and to purchase a |
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year’s
supply of items like salt and cooking oil. The most
famous Madai festival is that of Narayanpur in Bastar.
This festival is held in the third or fourth week of
February, and of great religious importance. The
devotees gather under the shade of a sacred tree to
sacrifice a goat to the mother goddess. Amidst much
singing, beating of drums and bells, the goat is
slaughtered and then taken round the entire village. The
night is spent in dancing, eating and making merry.
Bhagoriya Festival
The Bhagoriya Festival is held in the Jhabua and West
Nimar district. This colourful festival is celebrated by
the Bhils and Bhilalas, a week before Holi. The Bhagoria
festival is not merely one festival but in fact a series
of fairs held one by one at various villages on their
specific market days, commencing eight days before Holi.
Men and women celebrate this festival with the Bhagoriya
dance to the beat of drums and thalis and the sweet
melody of shehnai and flute. Bhagoradev or the god of
dance is worshipped on this occasion. The most respected
village elder presides over the ceremony and offers
sweetmeats to the god. The festival is special for Bhils
as it could mean love, romance and even marriage. Young
men go around and apply the gulal (red colour powder) to
the girls they like. If a girl reciprocates the
sentiment then she too applies gulal in return and that
is all the permission a young man needs to marry her.
Even the mutual exchange of pan or betel leaf is a
declaration of love. After choosing their partners, the
young people elope and are subsequently accepted as
husband and wife by society through predetermined
customs. It is not always that boys and girls intending
to marry each other meet in the festival for the first
time. In a large number of cases, the alliance is
already made between the two, and the festival provides
the institutionalized framework for announcing the
alliance publically. Earlier, during the Bhagoria
festival, the people settle their old disputes and open
invitations were sent to enemies for the fight. Bloody
battles used to be quite common in the past but today
police and administration do not allow people to go to
the festival armed. This festival also coincides with
the completion of harvesting, and is an agricultural
festival as well.
Karma Festival
The Karma festival is a religious festival and calls for
a huge celebration every year among the Korba tribals of
Madhya Pradesh. On the day of worship, devotees fast
from morning till the next day. A branch from the Karam
tree is planted in the middle of an open ground and the
night is spent singing and dancing around it. The Baigas
and the Gonds perform the Karma dance during the
festival. |
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Khajuraho Dance Festival
The famous Khajuraho Dance Festival is held in the
month of March. This week long festival of
classical dances is held at the Khajuraho Temples,
built by the Chandela Kings. The Khajuraho Dance
Festival attracts the best classical dancers of
the country, who perform against the spectacular
background of the Khajuraho temples. This festival
has earned the international status under the
Government of India and a unique treat for
connoisseurs from all over the world.
Nagaji Fair
The Nagaji fair is a way of remembering and paying
respect to Saint Nagaji who lived at the time of
Emperor Akbar, nearly 400 years ago. Various
tribals visit the Porsa village in Murena district
during winter (November-December) and make merry
for as long as a month. Earlier monkeys were sold
at this fair, but now |
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domestic animals are sold in the fair.
Mahashivratri
The Mahashivratri festival, the great night of Lord
Shiva is celebrated on the 14th night of the dark half
of the month of Magh (February). The special
celebrations are held in some of the major Shaivite
temples at Ujjain, Omkareshwar and Maheshwar. The
devotees stay awake throughout the night, listen to
sacred texts and hymns and offer their prayers to Lord
Shiva. They offer special food made from the fruits of
the season, root vegetables and coconuts to Lord Shiva.
The devotees fast all the night and eat the prasad
offered to Shiva.
Tansen Music Festival
The Tansen Music Festival is held in the Tansen Tomb in
Gwalior. The annual Indian classical festival of dance
and music is held in November. The renowned classical
singers of the land regale audiences through five
mesmerizing night-long sessions of the classical ragas. |
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