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Madhya Pradesh
Fairs and Festivals
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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.
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Madai Festival |
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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 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.
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Bhagoriya Festival |
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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 |
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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 institutionalised 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. |
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Karma Festival |
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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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Nagaji Fair |
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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 domestic animals are sold in the fair.
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Mahashivratri |
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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. |
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Khajuraho Dance Festival |
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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.
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Tansen Music Festival |
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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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