Pushkar and Kumbh Mela are some festivals that need no introduction in India. However, the Vittal Birdev Annual Yatra, something that is not heard of, is celebrated at Pattan Kodoli village in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra attended by thousands of devotees coming from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra between October 17th - 24th. The festival is celebrated to offer prayers to the community diety of the shepherds, Shri Vittal Birdev, an incarnation of Lord Shiva. They believe that the festival and rituals would bring good fortune.
I witnessed Baba, a holy man, being surrounded by a furiously religious crowd throwing a mixture of haldi and dry coconut on him. Huge umbrellas were brought in to welcome the Baba to the temple, accompanied with a procession with drums and traditional music. As soon as he entered the temple, Baba went into a trance that made him jump and dance that lasted for nearly 10 minutes. The Baba then went ahead to foretell his predictions about farming, rain and future conditions in Kannada. His trance language was translated by the priest. He then starts his journey back on the 24th after the rituals are over.
Artist: Srivatsan Sankaran
Twitter: [@srimoam](https://twitter.com/srimoam)
Edition: 12/12
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