Culture of Maharashtra
Maharashtra, being a part of India, boasts of a rich cultural heritage. The culture and legacy of the state is truly reflected though it's numerous forts, palaces, caves, shrines and museum, not to mention its folk music and traditional dances. The saints and philosophers who have graced this great land have also added to its historical inheritance. Maharashtra is like an amalgamation - of different races, of different traditions and of classes. Here, Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with as much enthusiasm as Diwali and Holi. This section has been provided to acquaint you with the culture of Maharashtra, comprising of its people, its religions, its languages, and the like.
The cultural elements of Maharashtra:
The staple diet of Maharashtra includes wheat, rice, jowar, bajri, vegetables, lentils and fruit. Meat was not eaten much in Maharashtra until recent times. Their diet is rich in carbohydrates as initially they were occupied in labour intensive jobs like farming. The Food of Maharashtra is from sweet to mildly spicy to spicy. Some of the dishes like vada pav, pav bhaji, missal pav and pooran pori have become famous throughout the world. Shrikhand, yet another popular dish has have said to be originated in Maharashtra.
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The traditional attire of Maharashtra required the men to wear a dhoti (a long garment wrapped around the waist and legs), kurta or a cotton shirt, pheta (head wear or topi) and waistcoat or bandi which was optional.
Women wear choli or blouse on the top and a 9-yard long saree called 'lugade' or 'nauwari saadi'. They usually wore open sandals or chappals as their footwear. In the 21st century, most of the people have started wearing western clothes or a fusion of Indian and western wear. The traditional attire is worn by very few but is worn by many during any religious event or Marathi festival.
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The folk music and dances of Maharashtra are Koli, Powada, Banjara Holi dance and Lavani dance. Powada dance form shows achievements of Shivaji Maharaja, the Maratha ruler. Koli music and dance originated from the fishermen community for entertainment. Lavani dance form showcases many topics like romance, politics, tragedy, society, etc. ?Lavani? comes from the ?Lavanya? meaning 'beautiful' or 'beauty'.
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Some festivals like Nag Panchami, Ganesh Chathurthi, Gokul Ashtami, Makar Sankranti, Gudi Padwa, Bhau Beej, Ellora Festival Narali Pournima and Shivaji Jayanti have originated in Maharashtra. Nag Panchami is devoted to the Snake God. The Snake God is prayed to get rid of the ?Nag Dosh?; Ganesh Chathurthi is an eleven-day long festival of Lord Ganesh. The people of Maharashtra celebrate other festivals also like Diwali, Christmas, Eid, and New years. In most places, people celebrate all major festivals irrespective of their religion and honestly, that just shows the unity and brotherhood among them.
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There are around 80 percent of Hindus and a significant amount of Muslims in Maharastra. Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and other religions are a minority. Churches, temples, mosques and other religious centres are found throughout Maharashtra. The people of Maharashtra take pride in their cultural diversity and respect every religion.
The official language of Maharashtra is Marathi. While the majority do speak Marathi, others speak Hindi, Gujarati, English and other languages. Cities in Maharashtra are Metropolitan and are a blend of many cultures and use English as their official language. Most of the people in Maharashtra are multi lingual and usually speak both Marathi and Hindi.
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The artisans of Maharashtra are very precise and delicate in their work. The weaving of quality fabrics, Mashroo and Himroo, made from cotton and silk (famous in Aurangabad) are finest of its kind.
The Kolhapuri Chappal from Kolhapur is known for their simple style, durability, quality of the leather and its design. Painthani Sarees that have been in production since past 2000 years are fine, exquisite silk sarees with delicate zari handwork in their border. Warli Paintings done by the warli tribes, who live in the Thane district of the state, tell a tale to the viewers. The paintings are of stick figure forms and are easy to understand. Kolhapur Saaj is a special type of necklace, famous among women of Maharashtra.
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