FESTIVE NIGHTS IN MUMBAI Popular Festivals : Dussera Puja, Holi, Gudhi Padwa Most Celebrated Festival : Ganesh Chaturthi Festive Nights : 10 Days Music Dance Shows during Navratri Important Rituals : Visarjan (Immersion of Ganesha and Durga Idols in Sea)

Festive Nights in Maharashtra - A Way of Celebrating Life

Dandiya Festival

Pilgrimage Shirdi Sai Baba Ganesh Chaturthi

Mumbai Cuisines Holy City of Nasik

Music and Dances Getting There

In the state of Maharashtra, where the people belong to various faiths, castes and creeds but during festival time all come together and participate in the celebrations with full devotion and enthusiasm. Every new day brings the magic of a forth coming festival and Maharashtrians with their heart open, welcome these festivities which reflect the rich cultural heritage of the state in the form of customs, traditions and rituals. The spell of the festival night's reach its zenith with the added flavor of musical shows, dance programs and the melodious folk songs. In the small towns and regions of Maharashtra, the festivals are celebrated in more traditional form accompanied by many religious rituals. Come and witness the magic of the festive nights of Mumbai where the beats and rhythm make their own rule and the participants follow it stricktly.

Ganesh Chaturthi - Ganesha's Birthday

Ganesh Chaturthi Festival

The Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Ganesha, son of Lord Shiv and his beloved wife Parvati. This elephant headed god's Murti are installed at homes, mandaps (temple stages) and localities and are worshiped for ten days. During these festive days many cultural activities also take place. The night Aartiis is a special feature of this festival and all the people pray and sing hymns in front of Lord Ganesha at the beautifully decorated mandaps. All the people visit the houses of their relatives and friends and exchange sweets and gifts. Nights of this festival are very important as you can see the people from the entertainment world performing live through out the state to entertain the people and make festival a more special occasion. People from distant cities as far as Delhi and Calcutta visit the state to participate in these programs that start only at evening and continue till the late night hours.

On the final day of the celebration the Murti (Lord's sculpture) is immersed in the waters of the Arabian Sea or river in villages. The lights that decorate the procession and the fire works used at that time color the night sky in rainbow. If you want to experience the hustle bustle of Maharashtra visit durind Ganesha festival and it will be a stunning experience.

Durga Puja, Navratri and Dussera - All Names of the Same Festival

Durga Puja

In the state of Maharashtra Durga Puja is celebrated with great reverence and the nine day festival has the same importance as Ganesh Chaturthi. The pandals are built all along the state and the images and Murtis of Goddess Durga are installed in these pandals. Every day the people worship Durga and finally these murtis or images are immersed in sea or near by lake. But the most important characteristic of this festival is that people enjoy the festival very much. Especially the nights when the whole city is illuminated with colorful lights and the young boys and girls in traditional attires embellished with mirrors, embroidery, participate in Dandiya and Garbha dance, the most famous dances performed by people during the festive time in the state of Maharashtra. Visit this city at the time of this festival and catch the enthusiastic and gaiety mood of the people and you will also find a reason to celebrate along them.

Gudhi Padava - A New Year Celebration Day

Gudhi Padava is the first day of Chaitra month (March/April) of the Hindus solar year and is the celebrated as most auspicious day. On this day people wear new clothes and decorate their home with different colors in Rangoli designs. After the special puja, the tender Neem leaves, gram pulses and jaggery is distributed as a prasad (God's Food). The bamboo sticks adorned in silken cloths and topped with brass goblet is called bamboo staff or Gudhi and are erected outside the house. It is believed that bamboo staff drives evil away from the house where it is erected.

Holi - The Festival of Colors

A festival of colors, Holi is the most celebrated festival all over India and specially in Maharashtra where the celebrities from the bollywood add to its charm by the music and dance events that go all the night. Holi is celebrate as a triumph of good over evil and is marked by adding the colors of festivity to all nears and dears. Declaring the end of the winters an important ritual is associated with this festival which is commonly known as 'burning of Holi' held on the previous night of Holi. This night event starts with the burning the fuel wood on the street squares and all people offer prayers while revolving around the fire. This is the start of celebration and continues till the time all people are tired but happy with the celebrations. Some sweets are exclusively made on this festival and the drink locally known as bhang is very famous for Holi festival.

Music and Dance Festivals in Maharashtra

Elephanta Festival

The Maharashtra Tourism every year organizes many festivals where the leading artists from all over the country participate in its classical dance and music events. The festivals of Ellora, Elephanta, Pune and Kalidasa festivals are the major festivals celebrated at grand scale. Usually these festivals start at evening and continues till the wee hours. It will be a great experience to witness the India's renowned artists performing live and that too in the backdrop of world famous monuments.

Celebrations that Refreshes your Soul

Plan a festive tour in the state of Maharashtra at the time of famous festivals and experience the incredible charm of the state. Housing the people from various religions, caste and creed this state is the complete amalgam of cultures where every day is a holiday and nights are full of celebrations. These festivals depict the rich cultural heritage of the state including its customs, traditions and rituals. The Ganesh Chaturthi and Dussera are the two important festivals where you will get engrossed in its magic and experience the enthusiasm of the people in celebrations.

The Legendary Artists

Right from the very early times Maharashtra has produced the great musicians and dancers who nurtured the musical tradition of the state. One of them was Sharang dev, who wrote the 'Sangitratnakara' India's greatest treasure of classical music in 13th century. Such old is the history and even today the field of music is growing in this state with the Bollywood. The famous musicians like Naushad is also the product of this film industry. Plan a trip to the state and watch the states renowned musicians performing during its festivals.