Jalgaon: The traditional Pola festival was celebrated with grandeur at Jain Hills on Friday, marking the 29th year of the unique tradition initiated by Jain Irrigation founder president Bhavarlalji Jain.
The event featured tribal dances, performances by saldars on sambal instruments, and a grand procession of Vrishabharaja, which holds a special place in agrarian culture. Students of Anubhuti School, members of the Gandhi Research Foundation, city dignitaries, and Jain Irrigation chairman Ashok Jain participated in the celebration.
To familiarise the younger generation with India’s agricultural culture, students from schools and colleges were invited to witness the event. The celebrations began at the Dhyan Mandir in Jain Hills, where saldars from various sites of the Agriculture Department prepared the bullocks. A procession then moved towards the Jain Hills helipad ground, where Ashok Jain hoisted the white flag to mark the commencement.
This year, the prize money for the bullock competition was increased to Rs 20,000. Saldars Hansraj Thavaras Jadhav and Avinash Gopal from Jain Wada won the first prize. Notably, Jadhav secured the honour for the fourth consecutive year. In all, 31 saldar gadi and more than 32 bullock pairs participated, representing units like Jain Hills Bottom, Goshala, Jain Wada, Jain Valley View, 500 acres, Jain Residency, Jain Divine Park, and Jain Society Shirsoli. Each was felicitated with gifts.
The Valu Sona Singh Barela troupe from Roshanbardi, near Nimbadevi Dam in Yaval taluka, presented traditional tribal dances. Instead of an honorarium, they requested fruit saplings to contribute to environmental conservation, which were distributed by Ashok Jain.
