The Kiwi-Marathi community in Auckland celebrated Maharastra Day with full fervour on May 1 (Sunday).
Maharashtra Day commemorates the formation of the state of Maharashtra on May 1, 1960. For the Marathi diaspora, the day holds special significance as it celebrates Maharashtra's statehood, rich heritage, and culture.
The Auckland Marathi Association (AMAI) celebrated the 62nd foundation day of the western Indian state of Maharashtra at the Mt Eden War Memorial. The event, aptly named Anand Jatra (Feast of Happiness), provided a platform for small businesses run by the local Marathi community members by setting up their stalls free of cost.
Apart from the cultural performances and live performance by Neel Patel, the event saw hundreds of attendees savouring the Marathi delicacies such as Puneri Mastani, Sabudana Vada, Vada Pav, Kheema Pav, Puran Poli, Aamrakhand and much more served at the food stalls. Besides that, there were stalls selling handcrafted wooden goods, ready to wear Nauvari Sarees and a nail art studio, among others.
“I am overwhelmed at the support we got for the event. It was wonderful to see that the event not just received huge support not only from the Marathi people but also from the wider Indian community. The sight of people packing up to 10 boxes as takeaways was a testimony to the delicious food being served at the event, and due to the overwhelming response, most of the food was sold out before time, despite catering being available for almost six times the RSVP,” says a proud AMAI President Vishal Patil.
The attendees, too, had a word of praise for the do. Prashant Belwalkar, a known face of the Kiwi Marathi community who attended the do, says, “It was an entertaining concept with authentic Maharashtrian culinary delights. It was great to see the young and not so young participating in numbers on the foundation day of Maharashtra.”
Expressing her experience, another attendee Priti Garude Kasture said, “It was a great celebration of the Maharashtrian community on May 1. It was great to catch up with many familiar faces, and the experience was also further magnified by the different varieties of food and performances.
“Such events always evoke a sense of nostalgia in me, as I am reminded of all the festival celebrations we used to have in India. It was a warm and happy event, and I'm glad I attended it.”
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