Festival/Event

Importance / Information

Gudhi Padva

New Year Day, Beginning of Harvest, First of the 3 & Half Muhurtas

Shri Ram Navami

Birth Day of Prabhu Shri Ramchandra 

Hanuman Jayanti

Birth Day of Bajrangbali (God of Health)

Akshay Trutiya

2nd of the 3 & half Muhurtas

Maharashtra Day

Maharashtra State Foundation Day

Vat Pournima (Full Moon)

Festival for Married Women

Aashadhi Ekadashi

Pandharpur Fair

Vyas Pooja, Guru Pournima

Day to honor & worship Guru (Teacher). 

Independence Day of India

India became independent of British Rule on 15 Aug 1947.

Nag Panchami

Festival of Snakes.  Snakes are worshipped on this day.  As a respect to this specie knife is not used during food preparation so also frying is avoided.

Narali /Rakhi Pournima, Raksha Bandhan (Full Moon)

Gokulashtami / Shri Krishna Jayanti

Birth Day of Lord Krishna.  This festival also called Janmashtami is celebrated with great enthusiasm in Gujrat, Maharashtra.

Pola, Pithori Amavasya (New Moon)

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• Festivals of bulls when farmers give rest to their bullocks & worship them as gratitude towards their hard work in the farms.

• The night sky is fabulous with lots of stars in the sky.

Haritalika

Event when Women & Girls keep a very strict fast whole day.

Ganesh Chaturthi (Ganeshotsav)

Ganesh Festival begins with Ganesh Pratishthapana.  In all major cities of Maharashtra numerous cultural groups called "Ganesh Mandal" celebrate Ganeshotsav with great enthusiasm.  Large statues are placed on Stage with spectacular decoration.

Rishi Panchami

• Seven Rishis namely Kashyap, Atri, Bharadwaj, Vishwamitra, Gautam, Jamadagni, Vasishtha along with Arundhati (wife of Vasishtha) are worshipped on this day.

• We can see these seven Rishis & Arundhati in the night sky with formation of seven star which is popularly known as "Saptarshi".

Gauri Aavahan

Festival of Goddess Gauri begins with her arrival.

Gauri Poojan

Goddess Gauri is Worshipped & offered food consisting of different variety vegetables, rice preparations & sweets.

Gauri Visarjan

Farewell to Goddess Gauri.

Anant Chaturdashi

Ganesh festival ends with farewell to Ganesh with Ganpati Visarjan.  Statues of Lord Ganesh are immersed in water (River, Sea, Well etc...) after a public procession.  In all large cities in Maharashtra Ganesh Immersion procession lasts anywhere between 24 - 36 hours.

Pitru Paksha Pratipada

Beginning of 15 days period to pay homage to souls.

Sarva Pitri Aamavasya

Pitru Paksha end.  During this period of 15 days Auspicious functions, property or any other major transactions are avoided.

Navaratra Aarambha, Gha ta Sthapana

Nine days festival of Goddess Durga begins. In many parts of India this festival is celebrated on very large scale.  West Bengal is especially leading in this festival followed by Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, Punjab etc...  Many cultural groups called "Durga Pooja Mandal", "Navaratra Mandal" etc... create spectacular decoration around large statues of Goddess Durga.

Mahalakshmi Poojan

Festival of Goddess Mahalakshmi.

Vijaya Dashami – Dasara

Last day of Navaratri, 3rd of the 3 & half Muhurtas.

Kojagiri Pournima (Full Moon)

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Milk Festival – Occasion to get together with friends & relatives in the night at leisure & drink hot sweet milk mixed with Keshar.

Vasu Baras

Cow festival when cow & its calf are worshipped.  Cow is considered as mother as it feeds milk to us.

Dhanatrayodashi

Diwali – Festival of Lights begins

Time for some to worship wealth & the God of Wealth (Kuber).

Narak Chaturdashi, Abhyang Snan

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Diwali – it is a custom to get up very early in the morning, apply scented oil to whole body & take bath with best quality soap & utane (an ayurvedic mixture to be applied to the body to make the skin very smooth) before Sun rises.

Lakshmi Poojan

Diwali – Festival of Goddess of Wealth Lakshmi.

Bali Pratipada, Padva

Diwali

·         The half Muhurta of 3 & half Muhurtas

·         New Year Day for some Business Communities who perform the pooja of their Books of Accounts.

·         Wife worships husband, who in turn offers a gift as a memento.

Bhau Beej, Yam Dwitiya

Diwali

·         Sister worships brother, who in turn reciprocates the love & affection by way of a memorable gift.

·         Yam (God of Death) is also worshipped on this day of Diwali.

Kartiki Ekadashi

Pandharpur Fair

Tripurari Pournima (Full Moon)

Datta Jayanti, Margashirsh Pournima

·         Birth Day of Dattatreya.

·         Only day in year when the night sky is most splendid & unique.

Makar Sankrant

Sun enters Capricorn.

Republic Day of India

India became sovereign country on 26 Jan 1950

Vasant Panchami

God & Goddess of Love (Rati & Kamdev – Madan) are worshipped on this day.

Ratha Saptami

Festival of Sun. Sun with its chariot is worshipped on this day.

Shivaji Jayanti

Birth Day of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj – one of the greatest Maratha Kings from British Rule in India.

Maha Shivaratra

Lord Shiva is worshipped on this day.  A day of strict fast.

Holi Pournima

Festival of Fire.

Dhulivandan

Beginning of the Crop Season

Rang Panchami

Festival of Colors