Dr. Vinod Chavan

Latur village holds fair dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi to mark Republic Day While most villages organise fairs dedicated to gods and local deities, residents of Ujed in Maharashtra’s Latur district have been organising an annual fair in honour of Mahatma Gandhi to mark the Republic Day for the last 70 years. The three-day ‘Gandhibaba Jatra’ is organised at Shirur Anantpal tehsil starting January 25. The entire village is enveloped in pure and unbridled energy for three days, with streets adorned with vibrant flags and colourful ‘rangolis’ drawn in front of every house. For the past 70 years, inspired by a heartfelt reverence for the father of the nation, Ujed residents have celebrated Republic Day with this fair. Nandini Jadhav, the sarpanch of Ujed village, on Friday, led a procession to bring Gandhiji’s bust, which stands in the gram panchayat office, to the village square. The fair will feature agricultural exhibitions, competitions for children, wrestling matches and cultural program...