Nanded: Malegaon Khandoba Yatra Begins Today; Week-Long Grand Fair To Continue Till Dec 25 | Sourced
Nanded: The renowned Shree Kshetra Malegaon in Loha tehsil, a prominent pilgrimage centre in South India, will host the grand annual fair of Lord Khandoba from tomorrow, Dec 18, until Dec 25.
During this period, the Nanded Zilla Parishad has planned a large-scale agriculture exhibition along with a series of cultural, agricultural and animal husbandry-related competitions, informed Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer and Administrator Meghna Kavali.
She was speaking at a press conference held at the Yashwantrao Chavan Auditorium of the Nanded Zilla Parishad on Wednesday. Senior officials including Additional CEO Sandeep Malode, Deputy CEO (Panchayat) DB Giri, District Health Officer Dr Sangita Deshmukh, Deputy Commissioner (Animal Husbandry) Dr Rajkumar Padile, Joint Commissioner Praveenkumar Ghule, Agriculture Development Officer Neelkumar Aitwade, Executive Engineer (Rural Water Supply) Rahul Ravsaheb, Deputy CEO Mayur Andelwad, NREGA Deputy CEO Amit Rathod, Deputy CEO (Women and Child Welfare) Prashant Thorat, Chief Accounts and Finance Officer Shivprasad Chenna, Social Welfare Officer Satyendra Aulwar, Secondary Education Officer Madhav Salgar and Planning Department Education Officer Dilip Bansode were present.
According to Kavali, the fair will commence today with the ceremonial worship of Lord Khandoba’s palanquin and the inauguration of the agriculture exhibition. On Dec 19, exhibitions of livestock, horses, dogs and poultry will be inaugurated, along with dairy competitions and various contests for women and children. Dec 20 will feature the felicitation of progressive and agriculture-orientated farmers.
On Dec 22, a women’s health camp and a Lavani cultural festival will be organised. Dec 23 will witness prize distribution for the animal and dairy competitions, along with a grand wrestling tournament. A traditional folk arts festival will be held on Dec 24, while Dec 25 will conclude the fair with the Shankarpata event, featuring bull-pair and bullock cart races.
To ensure the convenience and safety of devotees, the Zilla Parishad has arranged mobile toilets, healthcare services, ample supply of safe drinking water, uninterrupted electricity, CCTV surveillance, veterinary hospitals and ambulance services, among other essential facilities. The Malegaon Fair Planning poster was released by the CEO at the beginning of the press conference, followed by the screening of a short film by the Animal Husbandry Department. Kavali also informed us that prize money for various competitions organised by the Agriculture and Animal Husbandry departments has been significantly increased this year.
Kavali appealed to citizens to participate in large numbers, visit the agriculture and animal husbandry exhibitions set up by the Zilla Parishad, and experience the vibrant spirit of the Malegaon Fair.
