Festivals in Madhya Pradesh
Apart from the seasonal Hindu festivals, a monthly fair is held
on every amavasya (moon-less night) where a bazaar comes up
selling all kinds of consumer items. Entertainment includes
tribal dances and puppet shows. People bathe in the tank and
worship at the Matangeshwar Temple. People from neighboring
villages also attend in large numbers, providing local flavor,
colour, fun and games.
Khajuraho Dance Festival
An annual event, held every evening for a week. Renowned
classical dancers perform in an open-air auditorium, the Western
Group of Temples forming an inspiring backdrop. This festival
has gained acclaim the world over.
Khajuraho Festival of Dances draws the best classical dancers in
the country every years, who perform against the spectacular
backdrop of the floodlit temples. The past and the present
silhouetted against he glow of a setting sun, become an
exquisite backdrop for the performers. In a setting where the
earthly and the divine create perfect harmony - an event that
celebrates the pure magic of the rich classical dance traditions
of India. As dusk falls, the temples are lit up in a soft,
dream-like ethereal stage.
The finest exponents of different classical Indian styles are
represented - Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Odissi,
Manipuri, and many more. With international status under
Government of India program categories, this seven day
extravaganza is a unique treat for connoisseurs from all over
the world.
Shivaratri
A festival usually falls in March, devoted to the worship of
Lord Shiva. The Bundelkhand region is a stronghold of
shasivities and many devotees travel hundreds of kilometers to
worship at the Matangeshwar Temple. A 10 - day -long Bazaar is
held where traders, peddlers and gypsies from other parts of the
state display their traditional fare and a variety of
handicrafts. A rural circus, folk theatre, magic shows and
merry-go-rounds add to the fun and frolic.
Tansen Music Festival
A pillar of Hindustani classical music, the great Tansen, one of
the 'nine jewels' of Akbar's court, lies buried in Gwalior. The
memorial to this great musician has a pristine simplicity, and
is built in the early Mughal architectural style. More than a
monument, the Tansen's Tomb is a part of Gwalior's living
cultural heritage. It is the venue of the annual Indian
classical festival held here in November-December. Renowned
classical singers of the land regale audiences through five
mesmerizing night-long sessions of the much-loved classical
ragas.
Bhagoria Haat
This colorful festival of the Bhils and Bhilalas, particularly
in the district of West Nimar and Jhabua, is actually in the
nature of a mass svayamvara, a marriage market, usually held on
the various market days falling before the Holi festival in
March. As the name of the festival indicates, (bhag-to run) the
youths run after choosing their partners, and 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, the festival providing the institutionalized
framework for announcing the alliance publicly. The tradition is
that the boy applies gulal, red powder, on the face of the girl
whom he selects as his wife. The girl, if willing, also applies
gulal on the boy's face. This may not happen immediately but the
boy may pursue her and succeed eventually.
Dussehra
Celebrated by all Hindus of India on the tenth day after
Navratri (September or October), Dussehra is celebrated as the
day of Rama's victory over king Ravana, or as a day on which the
Goddess Kali destroyed the buffalo-demon and liberated the
world. The Dussehra festival celebration at Jagdalpur is unique
in its perspective and significance.
Dussehra starts with worship at the temple of Kachhingudi, a
local goddess. A seven-year-old girl of the weaver caste is
chosen and ceremonially married to the priest of the shrine.
This girl symbolizes the goddess. After a while she goes into a
trance and is asked to grant the safe conduct of the
celebration. |