Maharashtrian culture:

•Tribes•Attire•Cuisine•Folk music•Dance

Ethnicity:

• The Marathi people or Maharashtrians are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group of India that inhabits the Maharashtra region and as well as some border districts such as Belgaon and Karwar of Karanataka and Madgaon of Goa states in western India.

• Their language, Marathi, is part of the southern group of Indo-Aryan languages.

• Although their history goes back more than two millennia, the community came to prominence when Maratha warriors under Shivaji Maharaj established the Maratha Empire in 1674.

Tribes:• Artisan castes: There are several artisan castes such as

Sutar (carpenters), Mali ( florists/gardeners), Kumbhar (potters), Sonar (swarnakar / goldsmiths), Teli (oil pressers), Gurav (temple priests) and Nabhik (barbers). These communities fall under the Other Backward Class (OBC) classification.

• Agri• Bhandari• Brahmin• Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu - Traditionally considered

to be a well-educated Kshatriya-Brahmin community. • Dhangar - Today it is classified as a Nomadic Tribe by the

Government of India• Maratha - The Marathas were traditionally considered to be

Kshatriya in the Hindus. The founder of the Maratha Empire, Shivaji, belonged to this caste.

• Matang• Pathare Prabhu• Wani

Attire:• Mens:Dhoti and phetta is the most common dress of

Maharashtra men. Wearing dhoti dates back to historical times; it is in fact part of cultural heritage of the state.

• A shirt or a trouser is worn along with dhoti; sometimes they prefer to wear a bandi over their shirts. This, in combination with a turban or "pheta" adorns their heads. Gandhi topi is to be worn on special and religious ocassions.

• Dhoti is generally made up of a piece of cotton that is about 2-3 meters long. The turban is also known by the names "patka", "rumal" etc.

• The style of wearing differs from region to region. The Brahmin men allow at least 5 tucks of dhoti in their waist with two tucks in front and rear.

• Kolhapuri brand is the most famous. As economy of Maharashtra is still agrarian, preference is given to ethnic footwear.

Footwear: kolhapuri Chappal ( Sandals)

• Womens: Pune, Paithan and Kolhapur are some of the ideal places to shop for typical women in Maharashtra for clothing.

• Paithani, Kasthi-Nauwari (Nine yards sari), Kaata-padrachi (Padar/palu is of golden work done with threads of minimal embroidery or fancy)

• They call the sari as sadi or lugade. It covers about half the length of the back.

• Its width varies between 42 to 45 inches and it has two length wise borders, called as 'kanth' or 'kinar'.

• It has also two borders breadth wise at both the ends, which is called as 'padar'.

• One side is more decorated than the other. • The Maratha Brahmin ladies and ladies of other

classes too wear this lugade with the hind pleats, which are tucked into the waist at the center of backside.

• The decorated end is thrown over the left shoulder.• The traditional Maharashtrian accompaniment

with nine yard saree and the choli.

Kaatapadrachi sari

Nauwari Sari: Nau-Nine,Wari-Yards

Paithani sari:

Cuisine:

• Maharashtrian (or Marathi) cuisine is cuisine of the Marathi people from the state of Maharashtra in India.

• Maharashtrian cuisine covers a range from being mild to very spicy dishes.

• Wheat, rice, jowar, bajri, vegetables, lentils and fruit form staples of Maharashtrian diet.

Diversified types:

Meat preparations:• Mutton Kolhapuri

Taambda rassa (red curry)

• Mutton Kolhapuri Pandhra rassa (white curry)

• In Maharashtrian cuisine, soups are consumed along with the main course.

Soups:• Dal Soup called Amti or

Varan made mainly with Toor dal or other Split beans such as Mung or Chickpea.

• Kadhi- This soup is made from a containing Buttermilk and Chickpea flour. It is mainly served with Khichadi, boiled rice or as part of the Thali.

• Solkadhi - This soup prepared from coconut milk and Kokam and is a specialty of cuisine from the coastal Konkan region

• Tomato saar - Maharashtrian spicy tomato soup

• Kokam saar - Soup prepared from dried fruit of Kokam (Garcinia indica)

Sweets:• Puran Poli: It is one of the most popular sweet item in the

Maharashtrian cuisine. It is made from jaggery (molasses or gur), yellow gram (chana) dal, pain flour, cardamom powder and ghee (clarified butter). It is made at almost all festivals. A meal containing puran poli is considered "heavy" by Marathi people.

• Modak: is a Maharashtrian sweet typically steamed (ukdiche modak).,Modak is prepared during the Ganesha festival around August, when it is often given as an offering to lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed God, as it is reportedly his favorite sweet. For more info, visit . Modak can also be fried with various sweet stuffings.

• Basundi: Sweetened dense milk dessert.• Amras: Pulp/Thick Juice made of mangoes, with a bit of sugar

if needed and milk at times.• Shrikhand: Sweetened yogurt flavoured with saffron,

cardamom and charoli nuts.• Ladu:These are popular snack in Maharashtra traditionally

prepared for Diwali. There are a number of different ladus based on semolina, gram flour or bundi.

• Pedha: Round ball made up of khoa, sugar and saffron.

Sides:

• Vada pav• Misal Pav• Thalipeeth• Theecha• Jhunka,

Bhakar

Folk Music:

• Abhangas- Basically in Sanskrit, devotion to God/Godess

• Bhajans• Lavani- Music for tamhasa dance.• Gondhal- Rebelious tune for

Godesses and Gods.• Powada- Dhangar tribe music.

Dance:• Lavani-The word Lavani derived from Lavanya,

meaning beauty. This form is a combination of dance and music, which is dealt with different and varied topics such as society, religion, politics, romance, etc.

• Powada-This dance form describes the events in the life of the great Maratha ruler, Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

• Koli dance- Performed by fishermens/womens, coastal regions.

• Dhangar Gaja-As the Dhangars of Sholapur district of Maharashtra herd to green pastures for grazing for their cattle, they become acquainted with the nature. Inspired by the scenic beauty, they compose poetry, called ovi writing about the nature and their God Biruba.