Despite the relative poverty of the desert people, and the harsh living conditions that they endure,

the Rajasthanis are a colourful, happy and proud people with a culture deeply rooted in tradition. The Rajasthanis are traditional to the point of being orthodox and extremely conservative, especially in matters of caste and community. Till not so long back, women were restricted to living within the purdah and education and careers were distant dreams for most women. In matters of honour, the Rajasthanis are very touchy and any insult, real or imagined can end in bloodbaths, even today. But the flip side is that the people have an amazing zest for life and are as fun loving as industrious. They have a rich tradition of folk music and dance, each region with its own dance styles, songs and music. Several communities of professional performers - the Bhaats, Dholis, Mirasis, Nats, Bhopas and Bhands, spend their lives going from village to village. The villagers patronise them and even participate in their performances. The semi-arid Shekhawati region in the northeast that make up Jhunjhunu and Sikar district, have developed a rich artistic tradition since the mid-18th century. As if to brighten the drab landscape, the walls and ceilings of the havelis (mansions) in village after village are decorated with exquisite frescoes. You wont find such a large concentration of frescoes anywhere else in the world. The crafts that have developed in this colourful albeit arid desert land are innumerable in their range and variety. Though the Rajput rulers were constantly at war, craftsmen and artisans were encouraged to absorb the refinements of the Mughal courts. They gave stone, leather, glass, wood, clay, ivory, brass, silver, gold and textiles the most brilliant shapes and forms as they breathe life into them to produce an astounding range of handicrafts. Rajasthan is famed for its textiles, tie and dye, block printing, embroidery and silver and gold relief work on fabric. These are converted into an irresistible selection of furnishings and apparel. Some items worth a buy include the lightweight cotton quilts which are surprisingly warm, elegant gold and silver jewellery, leather goods, furniture, miniature paintings, blue pottery and woollen carpets in Mughal designs. The finest block printed fabrics are made in Sanganer, a half hours drive f rom Jaipur. Raja Man Singh of Amer (Jaipur) brought five Sikh enamel workers from Lahore to Jaipur in the 16th century to introduce the art of meenakari craft to the local craftsmen. Today, Jaipurs meenakari (coloured enamel work) has acquired world fame. Kundankari is another traditional craft in which precious and semi precious stones are set in lac or lacquer inlaid in gold. The lacquer background is then hidden with refined gold wire. These skills go to produce the most fabulous jewellery, whether in gold and precious stones fit for queens, or as silver ornaments worn by the peasants. The religious cloth paintings of Nathdwara or Pichhawais depicting gods and goddesses and the brightly coloured phad cloth paintings of rural Rajasthan make excellent wall hangings.

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GUJRATI
The state of Gujarat in India is located on the west coast of the country. Having earned the distinction of being the most industrialized state in India, Gujarat is extremely rich in crafts, history and scenic beauty. Gujarat being the home state of Mahatma Gandhi - the Father of the nation, the state boasts of a rich and varied culture and heritage. Indianholiday offers online information on Gujarat Cultural tour. The culture of Gujarat forms an integral part of the Indian culture. Even with extensive modernization, Gujarat and its people have been able to preserve the rich culture and tradition of the ancient past. Noted for their colorful dresses, the people of Gujarat - popularly known as 'Gujaratis' - exhibit a very warm and friendly nature and the 'untouched' simplicity about them constitute an integral part of the beautiful Culture of Gujarat. Gujarat boasts of an extremely rich Art Architecture and Culture, which is reflected in the day-to-day lives of the local populace. The amiable and peace loving Gujaratis are well known for their concern and affection for all life forms. The diverse ethnic groups constituting the Gujarati population has resulted in the cultural diversity of Gujarat. These ethnic groups can be categorized as Indic (northern-derived) and Dravidian (southern-derived). The Indic group comprises the Nagar Brahman, Bhatia, Bhadela, Rabari, and Mina castes; while the Dravidian origin includes tribes like Bhangi, Koli, Dubla, Naikda, and Macchi-Kharwa. The rest of the populace, including the native Bhil tribe, show mixed characteristics. The varied culture of Gujarat is amply demonstrated in the various characteristic traits of the people of different parts of the state. For example, the people of Kachha - a low and arid region, are hardy by nature and blessed with a rare spirit of enterprise and acumen for business organization. The people of peninsular Saurashtra on the other hand are artistic; while the people of northern Gujarat are simple, sober and having a more practical outlook. Southern Gujaratis are gentle, pleasure loving and sophisticated by nature. About one-fifth of Gujarat's population consists of Scheduled Castes, Ahmedabad having the highest proportion of them. About 70% of the population is Hindus, the rest being Muslims and Jains. Almost one-third of the total population is urbanized.

The folklore and folk arts of Gujarat form a major part of the Culture of Gujarat. Most of the art traditions and cultural heritage of Gujarat can be traced back to the ancient period of Lord Krishna. The Gujaratis exhibit a natural penchant for singing and dancing. They have special songs and dances for every occasion and festival celebrated all round the year. They have, till date, successfully preserved Gujarat's rich tradition of song, dance and drama. Most popular among the dance forms in Gujarat are Ras and Garba. Some other popular folk dance forms include Tippani Nritya, Siddi dance, Padhar Nritya, Dangi Nritya and other local tribal dances. Bhavai is the popular folk drama in Gujarat. Gujarati handicrafts, which are famous worldwide, are also an integral aspect of the culture of Gujarat.

Muslims

Culture of Muslims in India A lecture delivered at the Anthropology Department University of California Santa Cruz, on Thursday, 29th October, 1987 As Professor Pandya has told you, I am sup-posed to speak on the Muslim Culture in India. Although I know about religion, I do not know much about culture. Therefore, whatever I will say, will be based not on book knowledge, but on personal experience and observation. Islam in India The of Muslims in India is greater in any single Muslim country, except Indonesia. There are about 105 million Muslims in India, out of 750 million of the total Indian population, which comes to about 15%. Their number is in fact greater than the whole Mid-die East Muslim population taken together. The Muslims have lived in India, in small or large numbers, since the beginning of Islam. There are legends and traditions which say that Islam reached Rajputana, in the heart of India, during the days of the Prophet himself. Even if there is some doubt about the authenticity of that legend, there is no doubt whatsoever that Islam had entered India within fifty years after the death of the Prophet. It was brought there by the refugees who had fled Arabia to escape from the persecution because of sectarian differences. Since then Islam has taken root in the Indian soil. When two cultures meet, they cannot remain isolated from each other. There is always tangible and intangible action and reaction; there is always a continuous give and take. It affects the newly arrived culture as well as the old established one. The resulting culture is, in most cases, more vital and refined than the originals.

Islam was spread in India through the efforts, and the good virtuous lives, of the Sufis, i.e. the mystics. It may seem strange to many who are influenced by the common cliche that "Islam was spread by sword." Although this is not the place to talk on this subject; but I think some light should be thrown on it. The fact is that it was not Islam that was spread by sword. It would be more to the point to say that the Muslim empire or the Arab empire was spread by sword. No doubt a great empire was established. But one or two examples will show how insignificant effect it had on the spreading of Islam: Some 88 years after the death of the Prophet, the Caliph 'Urnar ibn 'Abdu 'l'Aziz came to the throne. The Muslim empire by that time had stretched from Spain and the north-west of Africa to the present day Pakistan, and going north to Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tadjikistan (in present day's Russia).[3] But what was done to propagate Islam in the colonies? (he answer may he found in a circular letter sent by the Caliph to his governors, in which he, mfer d/m, wrote that it was a matter of concern that even after all those decades of Muslim rule, nothing was done to spread Islam in the colonies; therefore, the governors should do something to rectify the situation. But this directive did not please the governors. The governor of Egypt wrote back that if he tried to spread Islam and people became Muslims, the jizya (poll-tax levied on non-Muslims under Muslim rule it was the only tax they had to pay) would stop and the treasury would he empty. The governor of Persia wrote that even the few persons who had accepted Islam, had not done so with sincerity; that they had not got themselves circumcised. Caliph wrote to the former that it was preferable to have the treasury empty and encourage the Egyptians to embrace Islam, rather than having the treasury full and the Egyptians outside the fold of Islam. To the latter he wrote back that the Prophet had come to propagate the Creed: There is none to be worshipped except Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; he had not come to circumcise the people. However, this attitude of the new caliph was not liked by the ruling clique, and when he died only after two and a half years, it was widely believed that he was poisoned, because he wanted to take the empire towards a new direction. Therefore, it is wrong to say Islam was spread by sword, rather it was the empire that was spread in that way. It were the Sufis whose piety and spirituality made them immensely popular among the Indian masses, and as a result of it, they entered into the fold of Islam.* Even today, every year thousands and thousands of people, belonging to every religion and creed, visit their graves, to obtain blessings and peace of mind through them. Some shrines like those of Khwajah Mu'inuddin Chishti (in Ajmer) and Nizamuddin Awliya' (in New Delhi) are very famous and popular.

As I have said earlier, it was but natural that when Islam spread in India, neither Hinduism could remain unaffected by Islam, nor Islam could remain isolated from Hinduism. Islamic belief in one God and the resulting brother-hood gave rise to many movements among the Hindus. Baba Kabir Das began his movement known as Kabir pant his, which was a revolt against idolatry and casteism. Thereafter, Guru Nanak established the Sikh religion with the same ideals. In recent past, Arya Samaj movement was started by Swami Dyanandji to preach against idol-worship and the caste system. This much about the ideological side of culture. Now, we should turn our eyes to some other aspects. Architecture One of those aspects is architecture. Lotus is a very outstanding and holy motif in Indian culture. You must have seen pictures of the statues of Gantama Buddha in which he is shown sitting on lotus. Sometimes Shiva and Krishna are shown in the same position. It has its roots in the old legends and myths, going back to Brahma. When the Muslims settled in India, they brought dome and minaret from Middle East and Turkey. But the domes built by them in the early periods were, like those of the Middle East, simplistic in design. Then the process of mutual give-and-take began, until we come to the ultimate poetry in marble, which is know as Taj Mahal, pictures of which you must have seen every where. If you study the upper section of its dome, you will see that the architects have capped it with inverted lotus. Thus by combining the Muslim dome and Hindu lotus, they have created the master-piece of Indian architecture, which is rightfully called the eighth wonder of the world. We also find many features and designs in Muslim buildings in India which show the influence of the ancient culture that was prevalent in India. Languages When the Muslims came to India, they gradually adopted the local languages. Many of their kings and military and religious leaders in the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western India acquired literaiy distinction in theii regional languages. Tipu Sultan of Mysore and Abdulluh Qutuh Shah of Golcanda were reputed poets. The Muslims spoke local languages, wrote in local languages and composed poetry in local languages, but it was not, and could not be, a one-way traffic. Their own language, i.e. Persian, also influenced the local languages. This is a natural process; language not remain static if it did, it would die. Every living language absorbs foreign words foreign ideas, and thus its strength

grows and its beauty is enhanced. Thus, the daily contact in social gatherings, markets and administration gave birth to a composite language, Urdu. "Urdu" is a Turkish word. Some say, it means army; others say, it means market. Be it as it may. The implication is the same: When people mingled with each other, in army or in market, this new language came into being. There is a difference of opinion concerning its birth-place. A group claims it was born at Delhi while another one says it was at Hyderabad (Deccan) in the South. What is certain is that the new language appeared in both places almost simultaneously; and it shows that there was a widespread inter-action and give-and-take ranging from Delhi in the north to Hyderabad in the south. Urdu was, and still is, the commonly spoken language in a vast area of India and Pakistan. The Hindi-Urdu conflict is a bitter legacy of post-World War I politics in India. It may be said truthfully that as far as the spoken language is concerned there is little difference between Hindi and Urdu, The basic difference is in the scripts the language written in Persian script is called Urdu, while that written in Devnagari script is Hindi. Of course when it comes to literary works, the Urdu writers and poets use many Arabic and Persian words and phrases, while those writing in Hindi lean mostly on Sanskrit expressions. In some cases this tendency leads the writer* (who perhaps to prove their high erudition) to use per-sianised or Sanskritised and expression, as to make the Urdu or Hindi quite unintelligible to the common masses, However, the Urdu language was a common bond among the people of India, and especially between Hindus and Muslim, It was Urdu that gave India its famous revolutionary slogan, Inqildb zifida bad (Long live the revolution) which was heard from Assam to North-West Frontier, and from Kashmir to Ras KumariL It is still heard in political rallies and processions. Urdu was not confined to the Muslims; hundreds, even thousands, of its writers and poets were, and are, Hindu. Pandit Rattan Nath Sarshar, Munshi prem chand, Brij Narain Chakbast, Daya Shankar Nasim, Firaq Gorakhpuri, Sahir Lodhyanawi, Rajendra Singh Bedi, Jagannath Azad, Arsh Malsiyani, Tilok Chand Mahroom, Gopi Chand Narang, Molvi Mahesh Parshad are just a few names that have come to mind at random. We may also say that the Urdu language, or more correctly the Islamic literature, was saved, preserved and put in the hands of the public by a famous Hindu publisher, Munshi Nawal Kishore of Lucknow. This great son of India opened his eyes during the reign of the East India Company, and lived to see India being ruled by Queen Victoria. He started a printing press, and unearthed rare books of Hindu and Islamic philosophies, religions and literatures in Urdu, Arabic, Persian, Hindi and Sanskrit, and got them printed. This Hindu was held in such a great

esteem that when the Muslim king of Afghanistan visited India, he made special request to the viceroy of India to make arrangements so that he could meet Munshi Nawal Kishore. Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first prime Minister of India spoke Urdu. Dr. Rajendraprasad, the first President of India, has written in his auto-biography that his education began not with "Shri Canesh" (i. e.. the Hindu formula) but with " Bis-nultahi 'r-Rahmdni 'r-Rahim' (i. e . the Muslim formula). He took Hindi as a subject in his B. A. class. It was Urdu which was chosen when the first attempt was made by Indians during the British Raj to use an Indian language as the medium of instruction at the university level. When Mir 'Usman ' Ali Khan, the seventh Nizam and last ruler of Hyderabad state, established the Osrnania University with this object in view, there were misgivings in many circles. But the attempt proved tremendously successful. Committees were formed to coin Urdu terms for scientific and other subjects. Men of repute in various fields of knowledge were engaged to write books for the courses of studies. And teaching in Urdu medium started upto the Master courses. And this was done without sacrificing the high standards of education. Soon the Oxford University in Britain recognised its degrees. Unfortunately, the bitterness after the partition of India prompted the Indian leaders to deprive Urdu of its rightful place in India. Osmania University was turned overnight into a Hindi University; and all the academic and literary work done there in Urdu was relegated to oblivion and none of those titles are now available. Although, the Indian Constitution counts the Urdu as one of the 14 regional languages of India, the language has not been recognised yet as the regional language of any state or region. So, on governmental and official level, Urdu does not exist in India. Pakistan has made Urdu its official language, although it is not a language spoken in any district of Pakistan. Punjabis speak the Punjabi language, Sindhis speak the Sindhi, Baluchis speak the Baluchi and the Pushto is spoken in the NWFR. Yet the official language of Pakistan is Urdu. Although it has been banished from U.P., Delhi and Hyderabad, the places where it was born, but so far as the public support is concerned it still flourishes in those areas. The number of l! e magazines am! newspapers published in Urdu surpasses that of every other official language except Hindi.

SOUTH INDIAN
The cultural heritage of south India is unique and this is the reason why it is known all over the world. The people living in south India belong to different castes and customs. There are Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Tamilians, Keralites and many more. But the unity of the people makes them one. Every city or state in South India has its history and traditions, but almost all of them are famous for the architectural designs of the beautiful temples, churches and monuments. The languages spoken wary from one region to another, but it's the language of their hearts through which they understand each other. Most of the regions practice only agriculture to earn their food. Apart from other things, rice is a common food in south India. South India is also famous for its classical dances and music. The heritage of South India includes: Andhra Pradesh uniquely combines history, beaches, and mountains into a great travel destination. It is the home of rich folk tradition. Many temples in A.P. attract tourists and a large number of pilgrims. Main languages spoken are, Telugu, English, Urdu, and Hindi. There are 34 Rivers, which flow through A.P. It is also called as the "Rice Granery of India". The world famous Kuchipudi dance took birth in Andhra Pradesh. The state had been an important seat of rich Buddhist Heritage. Andhra Pradesh has the largest IT Park and largest Film City in Asia. Situated south of the Vindhyas, it shares a common history with its neighbours, Maharashtra, orissa, M.P., Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Medieval city of Hyderabad is its capital. Andhra Pradesh is known for the famous Sri Venkateshwara temple at Tirupati, Charminar, and Salar Jung Museum. The mother tongue of the natives is Telugu.Kuchipudi is the famous classical dance of Andhra Pradesh whereas tribal dances contribute equal measure to the artistic heritage of Andhra Pradesh.Lacquer toys, Anakapalli articles, Nirmal painted pottery, Bidri-lead inlaid black meta trinklets, palm and slate articles, as well as Gadhwalk, pochampalli and Dharmvaram silk saris are some of the amazing handlooms and handicrafts the state is renowned for. Agriculture is the main occupation. Major bulk of India's Virginia tobacco crop is grown in Andhra Pradesh.Andhras are ancient people, their interest had been in arts, crafts and dance. The main festivals of the region are the Deccan festival, with its cultural programmes being celebrated in the month of February.Id is celebrated with ritualistic fervor in A.P and particularly in Hyderabad.During these festivals Hyderabad's art, crafts culture, and cuisine are highlighted. The Lumbini festival is organized to celebrate the 'Buddhist Heritage' of Andhra Pradesh. Cuisine of Andhra Pradesh has a distinct flavor and is relished by many tourists. Rice is the staple food and chilies dominate the native taste. The pickles and papads of Andhra Pradesh are also famous Karnataka: The tradition has intermingled with the technology best in the state of Karnataka. The state is predominantly a Hindu state with minorities like Muslims and Christians living here. Karnataka harbors a variance of interests such as the

ruins of Vijaynagar, sculptures of Belur and Halebid; Mausoleum of Gol Gumbaz at Bijapur; golden sands of Karavalli, proud hills of Kodau; majestic mysore word's tallest freestanding monolith of Bahubali. Karnataka also offers the exquisitely carved temples, rockcut caves, gardens, National parks and bird sanctuary, falls, forts etc. Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka is also called the Silicon Valley of India for its booming software. Kannada is the principal language of Karnataka.pampa, Ponna, and Ranna are the three gems of Kannada literature, which developed a mixed form of poetry and prose in their writings in the 10th and 12th centuries. The Hindu faith and devotion instead formed its expression through the popular song, dance, and entertainment form called the "Yakshagana" in Karnataka. Open-air folk theater or "Bayalata" of Karnataka is a famous dance form, performed at religious festivals and family celebrations. The Pattadakal Dance Festival is a festival of dance held at Pattadakal, the ancient capital of the Chalukyan kings. Doddata" is a less refined dance form than Yakshaganna. In both these dance forms, stories from "Ramayana" and "Mahabharta" are enacted. The costumes are elaborate, the make-up is loud, facial expression are vigorous and are accompanied with loud noises and war cries. Karnataka is famous for dosas, idlis, and Coconut milk, which is natural and refreshing drink available in abundance and enjoyed by al Kerala: Every place has its own heritage and culture; likewise Kerala has a rich cultural background, which makes it one of the best destinations of India. This beautiful landscape has its intriguing customs, high-intensity cultural life, and an educated public. The location of Kerala on the southern tip of the Indian mainland makes it popular for its backwaters. The limited population of the place is scattered over large acres of land surrounded by green area and water bodies. The language spoken by the natives is Malyalum.On the whole the city is known for its churches and temples. The main occupation of the people is agriculture; but woodcarving and metal work are also part of the tradition. The temple structures of Kerala stand witness to the beauty and stability of the heritage. This art appeared in the form of deified images as stylized Buddhas, awe-inspiring Rama figures, the very human Krishna forms and serene figures, which contrasted amicably with perfection of the dancing Shiva. Kerala is known for its Handicrafts in wood, horn, metal mirrors, brass lamps, coir mats, handloom fabrics, gold jewellery in exquisite designs and most importantly coir products, woven from coconut husk fibre. The main festivals of Kerala are Christmas, Oman, and Pooram. People have their own traditional ways of enjoying the festivities. At the time of Onam, floor designs are made in the front courtyard of the house while for Pooram festival, elephants are decorated and displayed with the scintillating fireworks. In addition to this, the exotic snake boat races

known as Vallamkali, the lyrical Mohini Attom dances and temple celebrations are a part of life of the natives. Kerala is also known for Kathakali, which is a 300 year old dance form developed exclusively in the state combining the performing art forms of opera, ballet, masque, and pantomime. The dance is a beautiful blending of color, dance, music, drama, and expressions. Majority of the people in Kerala are Dravidians. Hinduism is the main religion with significant percentages of Muslims and Christians. Some of the people still stay in houses made in the traditional way, where the baths are kept away, at a distance from the house. The traditional feast of Kerala is Sadya.This dish is served on a clean fresh banana leaf. The main food comprises of mainly rice and countless curries. According to the old customs of eating, people here eat their food sitting on the floor. Apart from this, Kerala also provides a good deal of seafood also

Tamil nadu:
Located alongside the coastline of Bay of Bengal, and breathtaking sights of the Western Ghats the state is also a home to the rarest confluence of the three oceans, namely Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal. The state is highly industrialized and the has the metropolitan state capital of Chennai which is now the best-sought destination in India for its state of the art health care units, IT, biotechnology and the automobile capital of the country. The state of Tamil Nadu is also known for its excellent temple architecture. Kancheepuram, also called the 'Golden city of Temples' was once a proud capital of the Pallavas, Cholas, and Vijaynagar kings. Dravidian style of temple architecture is visible in most of the temples of Tamil Nadu.These temples are huge in size and sometimes encompass entire townships. Many of them are huge with towering structures called gopurams. Bharatanatyam is one of the oldest dance forms of India that originated in Tamil Nadu. It was originally performed in temples as part of the religious ritual. This classical dance of the 'devadasis' (temple dancers) is now famous throughout the world. Bharat Natyam combines melody, rhythm, facial expressions, hand gestures, and postures of the body to portray narratives of devotional themes. Tamil, the oldest living language in the world is the language spoken by the natives. Tamil literature and grammar are very old and popular since the period of 500 BC. Thirukkural, the masterpiece of Tamil literature with the highest and purest expressions of human thought, dates back to this early period. Intricate rock carvings, festivals, classical music, and dance highlight the cultural heritage and make Tamil Nadu the cultural capital of the country. Coimbatore is one of the most industrialized cities in the state and is popularly known as "The Textile Capital of South India" or "The Manchester of the South". Trichy is a thriving commercial center and is famous for artificial diamonds, cigars, handloom cloth, glass bangles and wooden and clay toys. Sivakasi is known as "A town of three industries", namely Matches, Fire works and Printing. Salem is well known for cotton and silk handloom weaving. The Tamil cuisine is perhaps the oldest representative of the other cultures of the world. The delicious dishes from the state are relished allover the country and abroad. The cuisine has important delicacies like dosa, idli, and vada served with sambar and chutneys. The meals are traditionally served on Banana leaves

Maharashtra:
As Maharashtra is a vast state, the people of this colourful state wears different types of costumes, take different cuisines, has different forms of dances and music according to the physical features of their locality. Generally, men wear dhoti and pheta in olden days, while women wear choli and saree. But with the change of time, young Maharashtrians too are fast attracting to the latest fashions imported from the western countries. The mouth watering Konkan and Varadi cuisines would kill any visitor's appetite. Although, Maharashtrian cuisines are a bit strong in pepper and spice, but it is the speciality of the dishes of this state that world knows about. And everybody knows about the unbeatable taste of the Mumbai chaats. The dance forms like Povada, Lavani and Koli with mesmerizing music and rhythmic movements entertain the Maharashtrians. Dhangri Gaja, Dindi, Kala and Tamasha are the folk dances that attach to the heart of the people of this state. Costumes of Maharashtra As Maharashtra is a vast state, the people of this colourful state wears different types of costumes, take different cuisines, has different forms of dances and music according to the physical features of their locality. Generally, men wear dhoti and pheta in olden days, while women wear choli and saree. Cuisines in Maharashtra Maharashtrians consider anna, or food equals to Brahma, the creator of the universe. Maharashtrians believe in offering their food first to the God as a thanksgiving. Especially on festive occasions, specific mithais (sweets) are offered such as ukadiche modak (Ganesh Chaturthi) and satyanarayan puja sheera. Dances of Maharashtra Gifted with its rich culture and traditions, Maharashtra has different types of dance forms. Povada is the dance form that showcases the lifetime achievements of the Maratha ruler Shivaji Maharaj. Music of Maharashtra Every festive occasion is accompanied by song, music and dance in Maharashtra. Talking about the music of Maharashtra won't complete without the mention of Natya Sangeet, numerous folk songs and its great saint poets.