The culture of Maharashtra is an amalgamation of festivals, dances, music, art and crafts, foods and costumes. The people of Maharashtra referred as Maharashtrians who are vibrant, down to earth people for whom life itself is a celebration. Marathi is the language of the people. All festivals in Maharashtra are celebrated with abundant fervor and enthusiasm. During festival seasons it would be a great time to absorb Maharashtrian culture, with all its colourful costumes, cuisines, rituals and traditions. The song, music and dance that accompany almost every festive occasion, add joy and excitement to the lives of the people from every walk of life. These festivals attract world-renowned artistes - musicians, dancers, painters, sculptors, weavers - who come together to pay tribute to Maharashtra's rich culture and legacy.
The land of Maharashtra holds a glorious past in terms of their history and culture due to its “Great Maratha Empire”, which has a charismatic influence over the people. The founder of empire, Shivaji Maharaj is considered as one of the best nation’s patriotic hero across the country.
In terms of people, the 80% of the population are from Hindu religion and rest included Muslims, Jains, Christiams and Parsi. The region has also a rich heritage of architectural monuments which have an important historic significance. The state is blessed with enrich and diversified cultural heritages. Some of the religious destinations in Maharashtra are Pandharpur, Ashtavinayak (eight temple sites of Lord Ganesha), Bhimashankar, Kolhapur, Tuljapur and Nashik. There are also many dargahs and churches in Maharashtra. Whether what the religions are, people celebrate each and every occasion with equal zeal and festivity.
Important festivals of Maharashtra are Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, Gudhi Padwa, Dasara, Nag Panchami, Gokul Ashtmi, Narali Pournima, Pola, Makar Sankranti, Banganga Festival and Holi etc. The Muslim communities celebrate the festivals like Eid and Moharram.
Many other cultural festivals are also organized by state government to promote the tourism opportunities in the region with flair to increase the knowledge of cultural heritage in local people also. Pune Festival, Ellora Festival and Elephanta Caves Festival are the regional festivals that are celebrated in Pune, Aurangabad and Mumbai respectively. Maharashtra’s culture is incomplete without the mention of Cuisines and Folk dances. These are the integral representatives of the state which makes the state incomparable than others.
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