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Nagpur: It was a day out for bulls (bails). With the sunrise on Friday, August 26, farmers readied themselves to express their gratitude to their best friends in farms. The man-animal bonhomie was witnessed in its colourful best as Pola festival was being celebrated in traditional fervour and gaiety in Nagpur.
As the day began, farmers bathed their best friends with a caring touch and then decorated them with ornaments and jhalar (shawl). Their horns were painted in flashy colours, necks were adorned with garlands of vivid flowers. As it was the much cherished rest day, the bulls were part of a procession to the beats of dhol tasha and dancing to celebrate Pola festival. The farmers showed their gratitude to their bulls for helping them and slogging around the year.
In the evening hundreds of people also worshiped the bulls and offered them delicacies mainly the Puran Poli and other mouth-watering stuff.
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Pola is a thanksgiving festival celebrated by farmers mainly in Maharashtra to acknowledge the importance of bulls and oxen, who are a crucial part of agriculture and farming activities.
In preparation for the festival, bulls are washed and massaged with oils. They are decorated with shawls, bells, and flowers, their horns are coloured, and they get new reins and ropes. The decorated bulls and oxen are walked in procession accompanied by music and dancing.
Homes in the village are decorated with rangolis and toran on top of doors. Puja thalis with kumkum, water, and sweets are prepared, and when the cattle is returned from the procession they are formally greeted by family members, with an earthen lamp with ghee for puja and aarti.
