DHARASHIV

Dharashiv reflects Maharashtra’s vibrant cultural spirit through a range of fairs and festivals celebrated across its towns and villages. These occasions often bring together religious devotion, seasonal cycles, and community participation, shaping the district’s cultural identity. Prominent festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, Holi, Gudi Padwa, Ashadi Ekadashi, Akshay Tritiya, Navratri, and Dussehra are widely observed. However, the district is especially known for the Naldurg Yatra, Tuljabhavani Jatra, and Yedeshwari Devi Chaitra Poornima Jatra, among others, which highlight its local traditions and historical connections. Together, these celebrations offer insight into the district’s social fabric and collective rhythms of life. 

The Kandari Festival is a major annual event celebrated at the Sonari Mandir in Paranda taluka. (Refer to cultural sites for more information on the Mandir.) It marks the birth anniversary of Shri Bhairavnath, who is associated with the Mandir. The festival begins with a kavade palkhi procession, in which participants carry pots from Kandari to the Mandir. These pots are later immersed in a well within the Mandir premises, a ritual believed to purify the space and dispel negative energy. The celebration also includes a palkhi procession, aarti, and the distribution of Panchakhadya prasad.

The Naldurg Yatra, dedicated to Shri Khandoba, is a major religious and cultural festival in Dharashiv district. Held every year on Paush Purnima (full moon in the Hindu month of Paush, typically in January), the yatra attracts over seven lakh people from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. The festival celebrates the appearance of Khandoba at Naldurg in response to the devotion of King Nala and Queen Damayanti and is believed to be the site of the divine marriage of Malhari Martand Khandoba and Banai.

The main Mandir of Shri Khandoba is located inside the Bhuikot fort at Naldurg in Tuljapur taluka. Another Mandir, believed to be built by Ahilyabai Holkar, stands on the bank of the Bori River, about two km from the fort. Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj is known to have donated 500 acres of land for the Mandir’s maintenance. Naldurg (also called Mailarpur) is considered the second most important yatra site for Shri Khandoba in Maharashtra, after Jejuri.

A unique tradition associated with the yatra is that the murti of Shri Khandoba is kept in Andur for ten and a half months and brought to Naldurg for two and a half months. The symbolic agreement during the transfer of the murti between the villages is said to be practiced only here in Maharashtra.

The second day of the yatra is usually considered to be the main day. The day starts early in the morning (around 4 am) with Kakda Aarti, followed by Abhishek (anointing and bathing of the idol), Mahavastra Alankar Puja, and Mahanaivedya. Throughout the day, people participate in rituals like throwing of bhandara (turmeric powder), offering coconuts, and chanting “Yelkot Yelkot Jai Malhar Jai Jai”.

Special processions of Nandi Dhwajas (sacred flags) arrive from various villages, with the main Nandi Dhwaj starting from Khanderao Nagne’s house in Maratha Galli in Naldurg. Rituals like Chhabina, Waghya-Murali dances, Tali lifting, Varu eating, and stick dancing are key cultural elements of the event. The procession of famous horses from Andur and Naldurg, fireworks, and the honoring of village representatives occur at midnight and into the early hours of the next day.

Historically, those who travel by bullock carts stay in Naldurg for several days. However, with modern transportation, work schedules, and colder weather, most now visit only on the main day, shortening the festival from eight days to two. Despite this shift, the scale and spirit of the Mahayatra remain vibrant.

The Mandir premises come alive with stalls selling toys, food, and household items, providing a boost to the local economy. Authorities ensure police security, lighting, drinking water, and queue systems to manage the large crowd. Darshan bari setups and bathing arrangements in the canal are part of the efforts to facilitate smooth participation.

The Sant Goroba Jatra is held annually in Ter village, Dharashiv district, to honor Sant Goroba Kaka, a revered Varkari saint known for his devotion to Vitthal of Pandharpur. The festival takes place during the month of Chaitra (March–April) and lasts about eight days, primarily at the Sant Goroba Kaka Mandir. People from across Solapur and nearby districts gather to offer pranam at Sant Goroba’s samadhi and seek his blessings.

Historical records, such as the 1961 Census, indicate that the jatra was attended by around 40,000 to 60,000 people. Given the population growth and continued significance of the event, this number has likely increased over the years.

A key ritual during the festival is the Kalya program, held on Chaitra Amavasya at the ancient Lakshmi Narasimha Mandir in Ter. The palkhi of Sant Goroba is ceremoniously brought to the Mandir, accompanied by dindis (devotional groups) from various villages. Phadkars from each dindi perform kirtans, and the main evening program features performances by renowned kirtankars. As part of the ritual, the murti of Lakshmi Narasimha is adorned with an ooty (turban), symbolizing the divine meeting of Sant Goroba and Shri Narasimha.

The Tuljabhavani Jatra is one of the most important annual festivals in Dharashiv, celebrated during the month of Ashwin (October). While the jatra continues for about fifteen days, the main event takes place on Vijayadashami, the tenth day of the festival. People from across Maharashtra and neighboring regions visit the Tuljabhavani Mandir during this time.

A central ritual of the jatra involves a member of the Teli (historically an oil-producing and trading) community entering the Mandir and pricking their finger to apply a drop of blood to the Devi’s forehead. This is followed by an alankar puja and the start of the palkhi yatra, during which Tuljabhavani Devi is carried through the town. One of the key traditions is Simolanghan, or the symbolic crossing of the town’s boundary.

The palkhi halts under a banyan tree, where people offer kumkum in large quantities. Leaves from the tree, considered symbolic of gold, are also offered as bhet (offering to the Devi). The palkhi returns to the Mandir at midnight, completing the main ritual. The jatra then continues with daily events until the next full moon, when the Devi is ceremonially put to rest.

Vel Amavasya is celebrated in Dharashiv on the first Amavasya (new moon) of January as a prayer for a successful harvest. The festival’s name comes from the Kannada word elu, meaning “seven,” and marks the seventh Amavasya since the sowing season began. In Dharashiv, as in many parts of Marathwada, land is revered as a maternal figure, and the harvesting phase of jowar is seen as the “seventh month” of the crop’s pregnancy, which is a metaphor for fertility and abundance. Jowar, in this context, is also associated with Devi Lakshmi.

Due to Dharashiv’s cultural and geographic proximity to Karnataka, Vel Amavasya reflects strong Kannada influences and is also celebrated in neighboring districts like Latur, Beed, Nanded, Dhule, and Solapur. The festival takes place in the fields, where farmers and their families gather for a bhandara (communal meal). A central ritual involves the worship of seven stones, symbolizing the five Pandavas, their mother Kunti, and wife Draupadi, though in many villages, only six stones are venerated, omitting Draupadi. Locals believe the Pandavas passed through this region before their forest exile.

Preparations begin a day in advance, with jowar and bajra forming the staple ingredients. Since the festival coincides with colder weather, sesame oil is applied to protect the skin, and warming foods like bajra are traditionally consumed.

The Yedeshwari Devi Jatra is held annually during Chaitra Poornima (April) at the Yedeshwari Mandir in Yermala village, Kalamb taluka, Dharashiv district. The Mandir is situated at a height of approximately 350 to 400 ft. in the Balaghat hill range. The festival lasts five to seven days, with the main celebrations taking place on Pournima. Yedeshwari Devi, also called “Vede Aai” or “Crazy Mother,” is believed to be the younger sister of Tulja Bhavani Devi.

People believe that the murti of Yedeshwari Devi was established during the Treta Yuga. According to legend, when Bhagwaan Ram was in exile, Devi Parvati took the form of Sita to test him. Ram, recognizing the deception, called her 'mad,' after which she settled in the Balaghat hills as Yedai or Yedeshwari.

Preparations for the jatra begin a month in advance, and the most anticipated event is the palkhi procession. The Devi’s palkhi travels from the hilltop Mandir down to Amrai village, drawing thousands of people. As the palkhi descends, participants throw limestone collected from the forest onto it, marking the start of the lime-picking ritual. It is believed that limestones appear miraculously on the otherwise barren land as soon as the Devi’s palkhi arrives. This tradition has been passed down for generations.

When the palkhi halts near a school building in Yermala, participants collect chuna (limestone powder) as an offering to the Devi. The limestone is then crushed, burned, and applied to the Mandir walls as part of the ritual. The procession also visits a mango tree, where the Devi is believed to rest until Panchami, the final day of the festival. During this time, the mango trees in Amrai appear blistered, drawing large crowds who gather to witness the phenomenon.

Visitors from across Maharashtra and Karnataka attend the jatra, which also features stalls selling chuna, supari, and mango kavdya. Offerings to the Devi include coconuts, sweets, sarees, and jewelry, as well as loaves, honeycombs, and anvils made from freshly harvested Rabi grains. Stalls selling chuna, supari, and mango kavdya also line the jatra site, contributing to the local economy.

Apart from the Chaitra Poornima Jatra, a second yatra is held during Shravani Poornima, known as the Shravani Yatra. The nature and scale of the yatra have expanded in recent years, especially as people continue to report miraculous experiences at the site.

Similar to the Naldurg Yatra, wrestling arenas are set up during the festival, where seasoned wrestlers compete in front of large audiences, adding a traditional cultural flair to the religious gathering.