Indian culture is full of festivals and Bail Pola is one of them. This festival is celebrated by the farmers to show their gratitude and love for the bulls. It acknowledge the importance of bulls and oxen, who are a crucial part of agriculture and farming activities. Farmers worship bulls on this day. This festival is mostly celebrated in the states of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka. In some parts of MP and Chhattisgarh, the day is also celebrated as Pola Amavasya. It falls on the day of the Pithori Amavasya (the new moon day) in the month of Shravan/Bhadrapada.
Pola festival has its own traditional rituals to be followed like bulls are given a bath and then decorated with jewellery, shawls and a garland of flowers. They are even painted in various colors and then worshiped.
Mythology:
According to mythology, Lord Krishna\"s maternal uncle Kans had sent a demon Polasur to kill Lord Krishna when he was a child. Then Lord Krishna killed him. This is why children are given special treatment on this day. That day was Shravan Amavasya.
Celebrations:
One day before this festival, farmer gives an invitation to bull and oxen, saying, “आज आवतन घ्या उद्या जेवायला या !”.
On this day, farmers do not work and give rest to their bulls and oxen. Women carve out beautiful rangoli in front of their houses, tie toran (decorative thread) on top of doors, prepare puja thalis and worship the farm animals.
Moreover, a pair of bulls made up of clay is worshiped on this day. Special food cooked on this day is Puran poli along with other dishes.
On this day, bulls are washed and massaged with oil by farmers. They are decorated with shawls, bells, and flowers, their horns are colored, and they get new reins and ropes.
Members of the farmer family also take blessings of bulls and oxen by touching their feet. Ploughing and sowing take place after the festival is completed.
This festival is celebrated for two days. There is the Bada (Big) Pola where the bull or ox is worshiped and the Chhota or Tanha (small) Pola.On the next day, children carry a pair of bulls which was worshiped on the day of Pola with them and go door-to-door where people worship these clay bulls with haldi kumkum and give children some gifts in cash and candies or chocolates. This day is celebrated as Tanha (small) Pola.
