Fair and Festivals of Nagpur

festival of Marbat in Nagpur

           Nagpur celebrates many festival of different religion with much fanfare. The city also host many cultural and religious events. Among the popular festivals the city of Nagpur host is the festival of Marbat.  This is unique festival celebrated only in Nagpur city. On the occasion of the festival people make the small statues of an imaginary evil spirits and take out the procession. These evil statues are burnt at the end of procession. It is believed by the people of Nagpur that by celebrating this kind of festival, all evil forces in the city are eliminated. Festival of Marbat also includes other cultural activities like dance, drama. On the occasion women prepare delicious food dishes and show their cooking skills. The festival of Marbat serves to be an occasion where one can have a glimpse of rich culture of Nagpur.

        Maharashtra is known for its large scale celebration of Ganesh festival. Nagpur being a part of Maharashtra is no exception to this. The city celebrates this ten day festival of Ganesh with much pomp and show. Idols of lord Ganesh are installed at numerous places in the city and prayers are held at those places on each morning and in the evening for those ten days. During the festival the city witnesses many cultural, religious and social events being organized in its different part.  

       Dussera is another major festival celebrated in Nagpur with great enthusiasm. On the occasion of the festival people of Nagpur gather together at the Kasturchand Park of the city and witness the fascinating event of lighting up of huge effigies of demon Ravana. The festival of Dussera is celebration of victory of the good over the evil.  On the occasion of Dussera the city of Nagpur also witnesses lakhs of dalit Buddhists coming to  Deeksha Bhoomi from different part of India to celebrate the historical event of Dr. Ambedkar’s conversion to Buddhism with his lakhs of follower way back in 1956. The celebration of this historical event is known as Dhamma Chakra Parivartan Din which falls on the day of Dussera festival.

        On Ram Navmi (Day of Lord Ram’s appearance on this earth) a grand procession  follows the chariot of Lord Ram Lakshman and Sita, the procession starts from Podeshwar Ram Mandir near Railway Station and goes around taking about 25 Km round of the city. The grand procession is joined by more than 100 tabloids which are nicely decorated with live dioramas or otherwise. The festival is being celebrated since many years and is one of the most famous events of the city. A local holiday is announced on the day which already is the festival day for Hindus. People feast on that day and participate in the colorful Ram Navmi procession, which ends after returning of the lords chariot in the temple, usually well past midnight on that day. Ramtek near Nagpur hosts a grand fair during ten days before Navmi when there is a great rush of people visiting Ram Temple for worship. The fair ends on Ram Navmi.