Introduction
Madhya Pradesh is one such land in India that emits vibrancy from every nook and corner. The heart of India hosts the best cultural and heritage festivals that can't be seen anywhere else in the world. People of various caste, religions and tribes are currently nestled in Madhya Pradesh. Jabalpur has its unique style of celebrating festivals and fairs. The entire city celebrates festivals with great zest and grandeur. Few of these festivals are associated with Jabalpur due to its rich ancient history. Mostly all the major Indian festivals are celebrated in Jabalpur, but in their own unique way. People from throughout the city participate in the festivals. The Gond tribe forms the majority in the Jabalpur area as they the inhabitants of the region. Hence they add more colors to the festival with their different and traditional dance forms which includes Gond Dance Form (also referred as Karma), Matki, Phulpati and Giridaand. These dance forms are inspired from the various aspects of nature and thus are performed during the various festivals.
Festivals celebrated in Jabalpur: Holi, Makar Sankranti, Diwali, Christmas, Muharram, Dussehra, Bhai Dooj, Doorga Puja, Ganesh Utsav. These festivals are marked by several cultural activities like folk dances, songs, worshipping and praying. On the occasion of these festival people of Jabalpur usually gather at several common places in the city and perform their folk dance forms to the accompaniment of tradition musical instruments.
Fairs in Jabalpur
Fairs can be called the panorama of culture of Madhya Pradesh and its colourful life style. Economically, socially and culturally, these fairs show a unique and rare combination which is not found elsewhere. Jabalpur is a city with various cultures and religions. All the people live here with harmony. They celebrate their festivals but enjoy all others festival with warm feeling. Jabalpur has various temples of various deities in all over the city. On the days of these deities fairs take places here in small forms due to the crowd which come from villages to show their devotion to the God. This type of fairs called Madai in Local Language. Such as in Navratri days there is a fair form in the area of Khermai Mandir.
Festivals in Jabalpur
In India, festivals hold a great importance, and then be it any state or any district of India. In similar manner, Jabalpur also has its own unique way of celebrating festivals. This article tells you how. Mostly all the major Indian festivals are celebrated in Jabalpur, but in their own unique way. People from throughout the city participate in the festivals. The main festivals celebrated in Jabalpur are as follows:
Makar Sankranti
The festival of Makar Sankranti on Friday saw enthusiastic and prolonged celebrations in Jabalpur with holy baths, pujas and alms giving. This festival, which marks the transition of the sun into the zodiacal sign of Makara (Capricorn) on its celestial path, is being celebrated all over in Madhya Pradesh. Millions of devotees were thronging the ghats of Narmada River in Hoshangabad, Jabalpur and Amarkantak for sacred baths. Pujas are being performed in temples across the state and the needy are being given food consisting primarily of ritually appropriate til (sesame seeds), dal (lentils) and chaval (rice). In Gujrat and Rajasthan, it is known as Uttarayan and people celebrate it by organizing a kite flying event.
Holi Festival
Holi is celebrated just for two days on the last full moon day of the lunar moon. On days one, a bonfire is organized on the different places. Day two is the time when the real extravaganza begins. On this day, people bid goodbye to winters and welcome the new season by coloring each other with colors and sharing sweets. Singing, dancing and the traditional beats of Dhol add to the gaiety of the occasion. Five days after Holi, Rang Panchami is celebrated by the tribal community of the state.
Durga Pooja
Durga Puja is an annual Hindu festival dedicated to Goddess Durga. Durga Puja is celebrated during Devi Paksha which is 15 days period of Ashwin lunar month as per Hindu calendar. Devi Paksha begins on the next day of Sarvapitru Amavasya and ends on Kojagori Lokkhi Puja. Devi Paksha literally translates to "Fortnight of the Goddess". In common language, Durga Pooja is celebrated throughout the India in September or October months. It is celebrated on big scale in Jabalpur. During Durga Pooja celebration in Jabalpur, whole city seems to be in festival mood. Their is competition in between Durga Pooja organizer groups in terms of how grandly they are celebrating, what kind of social message they are passing, size and look of Pandals, size & look of goddess Durga statue, theme of whole celebration, lighting arrangements etc. It is this competition which induces organizers to offer something new and unique to visitors. More than 100 statues are established, throughout the city and grand celebration can be experienced after sun-set. After completing their duties, business, shops, duties, public enjoys their evening while visiting these Durga Pooja pandals. Its grandness is truly exceptional and unexpected. It is the Jabalpur Durga Pooja, that attracts tourists and devotees to undertake special city tour during Navratri period.
Ganesh Utsav
The festival of Lord Ganeshji is comes after sawan month. This festival is celebrated with joy and prosperity especially in Jabalpur. Basically, there are many societies over here who organize the celebration of this festival. Many cultural and dance programs are organized during this festival. Overall, this festival is awesome when it comes to enjoy the festival with various types of dishes offered to Ganeshji. During Ganesh pooja period, tourists have the chance to undertake city tour, after sunset to enjoy the lighting arrangements of various organizers, spread evenly over the city. Any such visit will make you feel that you are in Maharashtra state, which is widely known for Ganesh pooja celebrations.
Dussehra
It is festival of 10 days. The festival donates the victory of Ram, over the demon king Ravan. The festival is celebrated by burning the statue of demon Ravan by Rama. Dussehra also symbolizes the triumph of warrior Goddess Durga over the buffalo demon, Mahishasura. Thus, it is a celebration of victory of good over evil. The tenth day after Navratri is called Dussehra, on which number of fairs is organized throughout northern India, burning effigies of Ravana. It is also called 'Vijaya Dashami' or 'Vijayadasami'. Diwali is celebrated, 20 days after completion of Dussehra. This is the period, when Lord Rama, travelled from Lanka to Ayodhya, his homeland. Jabalpur Dussehra is very popular among visitors, which attracts spectators from all nearby towns, villages. Here Punjabi Dussehra is popular among citizens.
Moharram
Muharram marks the anniversary of the battle of Karbala, when the grandson of Muhammad, Imam Hussein ibn Ali, was killed, and is widely commemorated by Shia Muslims. The word 'Muharram' translates as 'forbidden' as all illegal acts are forbidden in this month, specifically bloodshed and waging war. Muharram begins, not with the birth of Christ (the West), but with the Hijra. Hijra is the day Muhammad 'moved' from Mecca to Medina to set up his new social order. Muharram is a period for self-reflection and to remember the battle of Karbala.
Sharad Poornima
Sharad Purnima, also known as Kojaagari Purnima, is celebrated on a full moon day of the Hindu lunar month of Ashwin. It is also known as Kaumudi (moonlight) celebration, as it is believed that on this day, the Moon through its beams showers amrit or elixir of life on earth. The brightness of the full moon brings special joy, especially after monsoon. Special ceremony is organized on the bank of river Narmada, at Bhedaghat tourist destination and celebrated as Narmada Utsav in which popular singers of India are invited to display their talent and celebrate the festival. During this day only, full-moon night boating can be enjoyed at Bhedaghat.
Eid
Id-ul-Fitr in Arabic means the 'festival of breaking the fast'. The fast that is kept throughout the Ramadan month is broken with special prayers and festivities. 'Fitr' is derived from the word 'fatar' meaning 'breaking'. According to another connotation it is derived from the word fitrah meaning 'alms'. Celebrated on the first day of the new moon in Shawwal month, it marks the end of Ramadan. Owing to the considerable Muslim population in Jabalpur, Id-ul-Fitr is one of the most important fairs and festivals in Jabalpur. However, the Id-ul-Fitr Celebration in Madhya Pradesh is mostly characterized by coterie celebrations. The festival is largely celebrated among friends and family.
Diwali
Diwali is a festival of joy, splendor and is celebrated for five long days. On the first and second day, Dhanteras is celebrated. On the third day, the main festival takes place where people pray Goddess Lakshmi and burn crackers. The fourth day is a celebration of Govardhan puja. Finally on last day, Bhai Dooj is celebrated. This day marks the end of five days Diwali celebration. A visit to the heart of India during the Diwali festival is an unexpected and delightful experience. Like other cities in India, the festival is celebrated with zeal and vigor in Jabalpur. Every Nook and corner of Madhya Pradesh is illuminated with colorful lights creating a kaleidoscopic against the backdrop of the dark sky.
Christmas
Christmas is celebrated on the 25th December every year. It is a Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ and is traditionally characterized by tinsel-decorated trees, mince pies, present-giving and a turkey dinner. Many Christians mark Christmas Day by attending special church services, spending time with family members, wearing new clothes and eating a festive meal. Some families exchange gifts or give small presents or sweets to children.
