Makar Sankranti
This festival is celebrated by giving tilguls and specially made sweet
ladoos to each other and even if possible by flying kites. Makar
Sankranti generally falls in the month of January. In typical Marathi
the saying goes tilgul gya ani gaud bola (take this tilgul and be sweet
and kind to each other).
Diwali Festival
Diwali is also celebrated with colourful and dazzling light all over the city like any other city in India. This Hindu festival is celebrated on the moonless night of November every year. Laxmi Poojan is held on this night. Goddess of wealth, Laxmi is believed to visit all the Hindu houses on this day. Colorful firecrackers are lighted and burnt. People also give gifts on Diwali to their loved ones.
Rath Yatra
A festival called Janmotsava is celebrated at Sansthan Shri Kalaram
Mandir, Panchavati, Nashik every year. The festival, which spans 15 days
begin from the first day of Chaitra till Chaitra Purnima. The
Janmotsava, which is witnessed by thousands of pilgrims, takes place
exactly at 12 Noon.
The main attraction of the festival is the rathyatra that takes place
on the second day, in which Shri Ram rath and Garuda rath moves through
the Nashik city. The Rathyatra starts at about 4.30 p.m. The Rathyatra
is made up of 5 links, 1st is the bullock cart of Sanai / Choughada,
followed by the Palkhi of Shri Ramachandra, Pujadhikari, Garudarath (the
rath of Lord Hanuman) and finally the Ramrath (the rath of Lord Rama).
The pujadhikari walks with the rath all the way it is moving by facing
towards the rath with folded hands. He maintains fasting, which starts
from day one of the Chaitra to the Rathyatra. Both the raths are pulled
by the rath sevakas with using heavy rope.
Kumbh Mela
Kumbh Mela is the most important Hindu spiritual gathering in India
that comes once every three years, rotating between four major Hindu
pilgrim centers of India - Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik. The
Maha (Grand) Kumbh is held every 12th year in each of the following four
locations. 2007 Maha Kumbh Mela is scheduled to be held at Nashik in
Maharastra.
In Maharashtra, the festival is held in Trimbakeshwar, Nashik. The
Nashik Kumbh Mela is generally considered to be the most sacred of all
the festivals. Kumb Mela in Nashik, like other fairs is also a mammoth
affair attending by nearly three and a half million pilgrims. Thousands
of sadhus and holy men and millions of pilgrims take dip in the holy
Ramkund and Kushavarta reservoirs.
August 14th and 25th and September 8th and 20th are regarded to be the
peak of the festival days. Residential arrangement for Sadhus is made in
Tapobhumi called Tapovan on left bank of Godavari river.
Fair & Festivals of Nashik reflect the
cultural heritage of Nashik city.