Every year, the village of Pattan Kodoli in Maharashtra's Kolhapur district transforms into a vibrant yellow colour during the Shri Vittal Birdev Yatra Festival, which commemorates the birth anniversary of the community's deity, Vittal Birdev Maharaj, believed to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. This event, scheduled from November 1st to November 4th this year, sees men, women, and children joyfully smearing turmeric on each other.
This festival draws thousands of devotees from the Shepherd community in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, and Andhra Pradesh to Pattan Kodoli village.
Located 17km from Kolhapur, Pattan Kodoli sits amidst the picturesque landscapes of Panhala fort ranges and the Warana River, blending modernity with heritage.
A significant ritual during this festival is the predictions made by Shree Kheloba Rajabhau Waghmode from Ahjangoau, a village in Solapur District, regarded as a messenger of God. He forecasts upcoming farming conditions and weather for the village. During the prediction ceremony, crowds of worshippers gather around a banyan tree to witness the rituals, where Baba predicts the future regarding climate, crops, business, and health for the coming year, greatly benefiting local farmers.
Devotees often embark on journeys, sometimes lasting days or weeks, by foot to reach the temple in time for the Yatra. On this day, the village sees an influx of people, with the streets bustling with food stalls, entertainment, and local handicraft vendors.
The festival features the use of 'Bhandara,' a yellow powder with medicinal properties, resembling turmeric but is odourless. The Shepherd community offers Bhandara mixed with dry coconut pieces to God. Devotees collect this blessed Bhandara and use it on special occasions and to treat illnesses.
In addition to offering Bhandara, devotees also present goat's hair to God, as the place is famous for blankets made of goat hair which are commonly used by the Sheppards.
Throughout the day, numerous individuals gather and they sing devotional and folk songs. As the procession comes to an end, spectators find themselves entranced and captivated as in an instant, the entire scene transforms and gets enveloped in a vivid shade of yellow, leaving observers in awe of the spectacle.
