@Rahul001 gives us very unique challenge
#DiversitywithLocalGuides and share unique culture and community experiences!
The color of your soul is more important than the color of your skin." Is very truly says by Matshona Dhliwayo.
Here I want to share my village fair experience which is one of the best example of unity and diversity.
My village Bhikawadi Khurda, is located at Sangli district Maharashtra. Every year we celebrated this fair very energeticly.
A fair (yatra) is such an event where people of all religions and castes come together to celebrate. There is no discrimination between men and women; instead, everyone participates with great enthusiasm. This fair is celebrated once a year. The village deity is taken out in a grand procession, either in a chariot or a palanquin, and visits every household in the village. This entire event is celebrated like a festival. People working in distant places make it a point to return to their native village for this occasion.
In my village, there is a temple dedicated to Lord Kedarnath. Every year, two days after Gudi Padwa, a grand fair is held. Fifteen days before the fair, a recitation of the Bhagavad Gita is conducted in the temple pavilion. Both men and women, along with children, participate in this gathering. Every day, verses from the Bhagavad Gita and Dnyaneshwari are read aloud. After fifteen days, the recitation concludes with a Gopalkala ceremony.
On the second day after Gudi Padwa, the deity is placed on a chariot, and the villagers pull it around the entire village in a grand procession.The deity’s chariot is entirely made of wood, with large ropes attached to it, and people pull it while taking it around the village in a procession.
Other deities from nearby villages also arrive with their sacred staffs (Sasan Kathi) to meet the village deity. These staffs are danced rhythmically to the beats of various musical instruments. Importantly, both men and women participate in dancing with these staffs, symbolizing unity and equality.
A fair naturally includes various stalls selling toys, sweets, food items, and ice creams. Additionally, entertainment activities like wrestling matches, Tamasha (folk theater), film screenings, orchestras, and devotional music (bhajans) are arranged. For two to three days, people experience a different kind of joy and relief from their daily work stress.
Most importantly, there is no discrimination based on wealth, caste, skin color, or social status during the fair. Everyone is treated equally. That is why I believe that a fair is a perfect example of diversity and inclusivity, making it an ideal reference for the Diversity Challenge.
Bhikawadi Khurda.