Nagpur: Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) will spend around Rs 2 crore on city’s historic Marbat-Badgya festival this year, marking the first time the civic body is making such a major financial provision for the traditional event. NMC plans to give the 145-year-old festival a larger platform and promote it as a cultural attraction for tourists at national and international level.The expenditure has been provided for in NMC budget following a proposal by standing committee chairperson Shivani Dani Wakhare. The civic body is planning a series of activities as part of its effort to transform the traditional celebration into a professionally organised cultural festival.Mayor Neeta Thakre reviewed preparations at a special meeting at Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Memorial Standing Committee Hall on Monday. She directed the NMC to immediately constitute a special coordination committee comprising representatives of civic departments, police and festival organisers to ensure preparations and implementation are carried out smoothly.The civic body will focus on Marbat-Badgya procession route, with instructions to remove potholes, hanging electrical wires and other obstructions before the festival. Arrangements will also be made for electricity, drinking water, stages at prominent locations and welcome gates along the route. Traffic police will coordinate with NMC to manage crowds and ensure smooth movement during the procession.The festival has a history of around 145 years and is considered an important part of Nagpur’s cultural identity. Dani Wakhare said NMC wanted to increase public participation and showcase city’s heritage to a wider audience. The civic body plans to invite nationally and internationally renowned personalities to the festival.A logo based on the traditional slogan ‘Eda Pida Gheun Ja Ge Marbat’ (Take away all our troubles and afflictions, O Marbat) is also being planned. NMC intends to distribute momentos and other memorabilia to visitors as part of the promotional campaign. Officials are also working on thematic concepts for the Marbat and Badgya and exploring new ideas to make the festival more attractive without diluting its traditional character.MLA Pravin Datke said Marbat-Badgya was a festival of ordinary citizens and had historically served as a medium to highlight social issues. He urged the civic body to ensure adequate public amenities and work collectively to take the festival to the global stage.The meeting was attended by Thakre, Datke, Dani Wakhare, ruling party leader Narendra Borkar, municipal commissioner Vipin Itankar, corporators, senior civic officials, deputy commissioner Rajesh Bhagat, deputy commissioner Mangesh Khavle, traffic deputy commissioner Aditya Mirkhelkar and representatives of Kali-Pili Marbat and Badgya festival committees.Commissioner Itankar said all preparations would be coordinated through the proposed committee. He directed officials to ensure the procession route was free of potholes, electrical hazards and other obstacles well before the festival.The Rs 2-crore allocation signals a significant shift in the NMC’s approach towards Marbat-Badgya, with the civic body seeking to combine preservation of the city’s traditional cultural identity with organised promotion and tourism-oriented development.
