Pola: Bullocks worshipping festival of Maharashtra

I live in Maharashtra. We celebrate many festivals like-Gudhipadva, Akshay trutiya, Holi, Nagpanchami, Diwali, Makarsankrant, BailPola, Rakshaband etc. These festivals are celebrated across Maharashtra by the rich and the poor. We live in the country where animals,bhoomi (land),trees, birds and things in nature are worshipped. We always show love, gratitude towards the things which give something to mankind. It's a great nature of Hindu people.

Bulls are the backbone of Indian Agriculture. They are the friends of farmers who have been helping them right from many ages. They help farmers to plough, to carry loads. Right from many ages farmers had been using Bullockcarts for travelling from one place to another. Even nowadays people use bullockcarts in the remote parts of the  country when there are no means of travel.

To gratify the bullocks, people of Maharashtra celebrate Pola. It is bullock worshipping festival. It brings joy and happiness among the farmers of Maharashtra. I love this festival as I'm a son of a farmer. We used to celebrate this festival in my childhood with great fun. Now I live in a city. And we do not have bullocks now. Hence the real joy has gone today. Only we worship by offering naivadya to bullocks made of mud. 

When I was living in my village, on the occasion of Pola, all the people spent the whole day with bullocks. They would wake up  early in the morning. They took their pair of bulls to nearby river or pond. They washed them carefully. They removed their dirt using soap. After that they decorated the bullocks with colours. Garlands were tied to their nakes. Ballons were tied to the both the horns. I'd enjoy all these things, but with our calf. It was interesting to play with the animals. If we love them, they also love us innocently. This festival taught me a lot. How to behave with the animals. How useful are our animals. How they help us. And how our Indian culture is different from other cultures. Actually the word "culture" itself is derived from "cultivate" and i feel very proud to say that it is related to farming.

In the evening in every house, there were sweet dishes made of  puranpoli. All the families used to offer Puranpoli to bullocks. The parade of bullocks were carried throughout the village. As the procession moved ahead, children would clap, dance and shout. While women used to offer puranpoli to the bullocks. Eventually all the bullocks had to walk around the hanuman temple. And then they were carried to back to farms. They were given green grass. Eventually All the villagers gathered together in the open place of the village. It was a moment of equity and equality where everyone was equal. Such festivals have played vital role to keep social environment healthy and unbaised. So, I like festivals. I celebrate with great fervour and enthusiasm.

When bullock worshipping festival "pola" comes, it makes me nostalgic and it takes me to my childhood days.  If I want to enjoy this  fun, I will go to my village and have fun with my friends again.