Pola festival: Read why it is celebrated and see amazing pics

Celebrated in and around Maharashtra, the Pola festival is an opportunity to show gratitude towards domestic animals.

Image: Twitter

The Pola festival is celebrated primarily in Maharashtra and adjoining areas. It’s an occasion when farmers show their gratitude towards the cattle, especially cow and ox that help him in agricultural activities. It’s also called as Bail Pola.

On this day, farmers wash and message their cattle with oil and decorate them with flowers, bells and shawls. It’s a thanksgiving festival to express happiness for the support the animals provide in farming.

Some places also have the tradition of organising processions of decorated animals.

It is believed that the festival has gotten its name from mythological events and texts. In one of the episodes from Lord Krishna’s life, he killed a demon named Polasur to save the villagers. He was still a child, and thus children also get special treatment on this day.

Here are some of the beautiful pictures posted by Twitter users:

A festival that's celebrated by farmers in honour of their farm cattle, during Pola celebrations in Maharashtra, the bull, ox and other ploughing animals are the center of attention.#MaharashtraTourism #Pola #Cattle #Farmers #Agriculture

pankaj_bokade pic.twitter.com/Tvxe7wEvxe — Maharashtra Tourism (@maha_tourism) September 6, 2021

आपल्या कृषी संस्कृतीत बैलपोळा सणाचे मोठे महत्त्व आहे. शेतीला आधुनिकता प्राप्त होत असतानाही बळीराजाचे बैलांसोबत पूर्वापार चालत आलेले अनोखे नाते कधीही लुप्त होणार नाही. शेतकरी व बैल यांच्यातील हा स्नेहांकीत बंध असाच कायम राहील. सर्व शेतकरी बांधवांना बैलपोळ्याच्या मनपूर्वक शुभेच्छा. pic.twitter.com/KLQmU8lYLQ — Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) September 6, 2021

My #Sanatani friends, do you celebrate this Pola Festival in your region? What is it called? pic.twitter.com/ZuQzXZGcY2 — Bruhan Nadda (@AadhySanatani) September 6, 2021

Maharashtra: Ahead of 'Pola', a festival to thank bulls, oxen, sale of their wooden prototypes picks up. "We make customizable bulls too. From 8,12 inches to 2.5 feet all types of 'Nandis' available. Price starts at Rs 1500,maximum price Rs 35,000, "said artisan Wasim Khan pic.twitter.com/IxbFvcErkf — ANI (@ANI) September 2, 2021

Celebrated Thanksgiving festival by farmers, Happy pola to all my friend pic.twitter.com/va7ZuslAiC — rajesh pothare (@pothare) September 6, 2021

One of the local festival we celebrate in our state Chhattisgarh to respect all the livestock.
We call this fest 'POLA'#chhattisgarh #culture#mobilephotography#photography#mondaythoughts pic.twitter.com/TXZYxvEuDK — Akash Sharma (@AkashSharma1406) September 6, 2021