AKOLA

Akola, a city in Maharashtra, celebrates many colorful fairs and festivals. Major festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, and Holi are enjoyed with music, lights, and community gatherings. The “Rang De Akola” Holi event is especially popular. The Maha Sanskruti Mahotsav, held in March, showcases local music, dance, food, and art. Pola, a festival for farmers and their bulls, is celebrated in August. The Ranbhaji Festival highlights local wild vegetables and traditional recipes. Villages like Kurankhed and Ujaleshwar also host mandir fairs and cultural events during Navratri and Ganeshotsav.

Teej is a significant festival for the Banjara community, marking the arrival of the monsoon. Celebrated in the month of Shravan (July-August), this festival is filled with traditional songs and dances performed by the community in groups.

The festival begins with the Banjara people gathering soil from a sacred field and collecting wheat seeds from every household in the village. Wheat seeds are chosen specifically because this is the time when wheat crops are sown. The purpose of this ritual is to test the quality of the wheat to ensure that only the best seeds are planted for the upcoming season. The pot in which the seeds are placed is referred to as "Teej."

After the seeds are planted, the pots are kept in a designated place, where they are carefully observed each day by a chosen individual. On the day of Teej, these pots are brought out for pooja and prayers for a bountiful harvest. The pots are then placed on the heads of girls and women, who carry them in a procession to the river while singing traditional songs. Once they reach the river, the pots are released into the water as part of the ritual. The community then returns home to enjoy sweet dishes, concluding the celebration of Teej.

In the Akola district, the Bhoi and Kumbhar communities uniquely celebrate Donkey Pola alongside the traditional Pola festival, which honors bulls and oxen across the state. This distinctive tradition recognizes the invaluable role donkeys play in farming, particularly during the challenging monsoon season when they are crucial for transporting goods over difficult terrain.

The festival serves as an expression of gratitude toward these hardworking animals, essential for tasks like carrying fertilizers and other materials under tough conditions. During Donkey Pola, donkeys are bathed, adorned with flowers, and honored through special rituals and food offerings, depicting the farmers' deep respect for their contribution to agricultural life.

The Yatra in Dhargard is celebrated on the third Monday of Shravan each year amidst the scenic Satpura mountains. Thousands of people begin arriving from Sunday, chanting "Har Har Mahadev" at Shri Kshetra Dhargarh.

Located in the Satpura mountain range, the ancient Mandir at Sri Kshetra Dhargarh sits 3,000 feet above sea level. It houses two Swayambhu Shivlingams and a Nandi within Char Koni Guha, near the Narnala fort. Some people suggest that Eklavya from the Mahabharat, who was a devout follower of Bhagwaan Mahadev, installed the Shivlingas. 

Although Dhargard is in Chikhaldara taluka of Amravati district, the easiest route to Dhargard is from Akot in Akola district. As a result, Akot plays a significant role in the Dhargarh Yatra. Buses are arranged from Akot Agar to Dhargarh, and the roads are bustling with people. While Dhargarh was once remote, it is now accessible by both buses and private vehicles, with the mandir situated about 25 km by foot or 37 km by major road from Akot.

People pack water from the Purna river to Popatkhed, chanting "Har Har Mahadev" to the rhythm of dafdi drums. They perform Jalabhishek on the major Shivlinga with this sacred water, and some people continue to the smaller Shivlinga.

At Sri Kshetra Dhargarh, the natural waterfall provides a refreshing experience for people. The puja performed in this natural setting, surrounded by lush greenery, flowing rivers, and the picturesque Surya waterfall, creates a deeply immersive experience.

On the final Monday of the Shravan month, the village Devta Rajrajeshwar is honored with sacred water from the Purna River, brought from Gandhigram. This long-standing tradition has been observed for many years. The people of Akola revere Rajrajeshwar as their principal Devta, and they begin their daily activities only after receiving darshan at the Rajrajeshwar Mandir at Shivaji Nagar. Significant festivals are held here throughout the month of Shravan, with people bringing kavads (Kavad refers to a yoke-like apparatus traditionally used in India for carrying two pots of water or other heavy items. It is made by tying ropes to the two ends of a bamboo pole) to the mandir on all four Mondays. On the fourth Monday, kavads filled with water, along with a palkhi, are brought from Gandhigram to perform a ceremonial ablution of the devta. The most notable feature of the Kavad Yatra is the large kavad, which measures approximately 15 feet in width and over 100 feet in length. Nearly a thousand young men are needed to carry this massive kavad. Each year, the Kavad Yatra includes over a hundred large kavads and more than a thousand smaller ones.

Sakharam Balkrishna Joshi, also known as Sakharam Maharaj, was born in Talni (Parbhani District) in 1708. After studying Sanskrit in Varanasi for twelve years, he led a life of renunciation, performing miracles and curing diseases. He settled in Loni Budruk, where he passed away in 1800. To preserve the legacy of Sakharam Maharaj, the villagers during Maharaj's death anniversary organise a grand chariot and a palakhi featuring the sant’s mask on Margashirsha Shuddha 1 and 2 (November-December).

Akola hosted the five-day Maha Sanskruti Mahotsav at Shastri Stadium, Tower Chowk, Station Road, starting March 6. District Collector Ajit Kumbhar announced the event, which focused on showcasing Maharashtra's cultural traditions. The first day featured performances by singers Swapnil Bandodkar and Vaishali Sawant. The second day included the 'Lokdhara' program by Aniruddha Joshi and Juili Joglekar. The third day featured 'Krantisurya,' a play on the life of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule. On the fourth day, Lavani dancer Megha Ghadge performed, and the cast of the Marathi show Chala Hawa Yeu Dya appeared. The festival ended with 'Geet Ramayana' by Shridhar Phadke and 'Shiv Sohola,' a presentation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s coronation. Other activities included rangoli competitions, kabaddi matches, mallakhamb displays, and dandpatta demonstrations. Seating was arranged for 6,000 people, and all events were free to attend.

On September 16, 2018, the Forest Vegetables (Raan Bhaaji) Festival, organized by BAIF and OOO Farms, was held at the Rotary Centre Hall in Juhu, Mumbai. Despite the ongoing Ganpati festival, the hall was packed. Tribal women from the Sahyadris, Bhandardhara, Akola, and other regions showcased wild forest produce and cooked traditional dishes, beginning their preparations at 3 a.m. The event featured a video on foraging, an exhibition of traditional kitchen tools like the mortar and pestle, Warli art, and displays of native grains including Sahyadri Black Rice and various millets. Mr. Sanjay Patil of BAIF emphasized the importance of tribal knowledge in biodiversity and sustainable agriculture, introducing attendees to edible plants like Kadu Kand, Bhokar, Kartuli, and Mahua. An 82-year-old man demonstrated the Tarpa, a traditional horn instrument. Attendees sampled wild tea, a variety of forest vegetables, and a lunch menu including Mahua Koshimbir, Niger seed chutney, millet and sorghum bhakris, Sahyadri Black Rice, Ambemohar, Mahua halwa, and Ambil. Talks by Ajinkya Hunge of Two Brothers Organic Farms and the Khandelwals of OOO Farms highlighted soil health, forest produce, and the need for sustainable food sources.