Some festivals are loud. Others arrive like a gentle breeze. Pola belongs to the second kind. It doesn’t need giant lights or celebrity campaigns. Maharashtra's rural courtyards in fields where bulls have labored side by side with people for decades is home to this bulls.
Come Pithori Amavasya the new moon day in Shravan villages across the state slow down. Not because they’re tired, but because they’re grateful. Pola is that pause.
What Makes Pola Special?
Though many celebrations honor deities in temples, Pola is founded in the ground a farmer's means of appreciating his actual-life companions, the bulls and oxen who daily support agriculture.
Pola is a much anticipated day in areas like Wardha, Beed, Sangli, Yavatmal, and even sections of Western Maharashtra. Children talk about decorating bulls. Women prepare sweets. And men, who may not always be expressive, silently stroke the necks of their animals and smile.
A Farmer’s Festival, Not a Market One
In Mumbai or Pune, this festival might not get much attention. But in a village like Jalgaon or Akola, it’s a grand event in the most humble way. This is not about buying new things or showing off wealth. It’s about showing respect for effort for the sweat, strength, and patience of the bullock that knows your land better than a tractor ever could.
The Bulls Take the Day Off
Farmers start the day by cleaning and washing their bulls before dawn. Their horns are frequently painted in hues of red, green, or blue using natural pigments; they are polished.
Garlands, bells, and brilliant textiles are then used to adorn them. It’s not just tradition it’s affection. There’s no work for them that day. The yoke is removed, and in its place comes sweet food and soft pats.
Aarti and Gratitude
Much like how families perform aarti for their elders, farmers perform it for their bulls. Incense, lamps, turmeric, and flowers are used. They circle the lamp thrice, whispering blessings for the well-being of the animals who’ve carried their burdens literal and emotional. In some regions, the bullock leads a procession, often breaking a symbolic toran (a rope with leaves), marking its honored status.
Children Celebrate Too
Children aren’t left out. In fact, Pola becomes their first lesson in respecting animals and nature. Many make miniature wooden or clay bulls, decorate them at home, and proudly parade them around, mimicking their elders. These small acts become memories that last long into adulthood.
More Than Tradition, It’s Trust
Ask any old farmer in Marathwada or Vidarbha about his bulls, and his face softens. He won’t call them livestock. He’ll say, “He’s been with me for ten years. He knows when I’m tired. He won’t walk faster than I can keep up. Machines may have entered farming, but that relationship? It hasn’t changed.
Why the Timing Matters?
Pola isn’t randomly placed on the calendar. It comes right after sowing season, just before crops begin their major growth phase. This short break in hard labor gives both man and animal a moment to breathe. It’s as if the land itself takes a breath with bulls resting, fields soaking in rain, and homes preparing for the upcoming harvest months.
A Quiet But Powerful Message
Pola teaches without speaking. Here’s what the festival whispers:
- Respect the worker, not just the work.
- Honor relationships that don’t ask for much.
- Understand that even an animal can be family.
In a world that races toward more speed and automation, Pola steps back. It tells us that progress doesn’t mean forgetting what came before.
How Pola Lives On in 2025?
In 2025, you might assume festivals like Pola have faded into old photo albums. But step into a village in Satara or Nanded, and you’ll see it’s still alive maybe not documented online, but living in practices passed down by grandparents. Many families continue to keep bulls, even if tractors are available.
Not just for tradition, but because trust can’t be replaced by technology. Some towns even live stream Pola parades now for relatives in cities. Schools organize art projects with bull motifs, and parents teach children how to say thank you without words, just with folded hands and a diya.
Cities Catching Up With Their Roots
Interestingly, even in Pune and Nagpur, some urban Maharashtrian households have brought back Pola in a small way. They buy little bull idols, tell their children old village tales, and offer sweets and prayers. It might not be the full village experience, but it’s a step toward staying connected to the soil, even through concrete.
Not Just a Festival, A Feeling That Lasts
Pola isn’t glamorous. It doesn’t need hashtags or headlines. It provides something quieter, something permanent a moment to stop and express gratitude, not in great speeches but in little gestures of compassion.
A farmer's folded hands in front of his bull signal years of mutual suffering as well as ceremonial significance. When a child sings folk songs with her grandmother and draws rangoli around a wooden bull, she is not just playing she is maintaining a story alive.
In our quick, distracted modern world, Pola challenges us to get back to our roots to realize that genuine strength comes in patience, in silent service, and in the relationships we develop with those who walk alongside us daily, without ever requesting thanks.
Although Pola might be a rural custom, its message applies everywhere, respect, gratitude, and the beauty of teamwork. Pola provides an opportunity to consider not just how we live but also who aids us in carrying all of it, whether you reside in a tiny village or a tall apartment.
