NMC Spends Rs 2 Crore on Marbat Badgya Festival Nagpur 2026 — First Ever Major Civic Funding

Nagpur’s beloved Marbat-Badgya festival is getting its biggest ever civic support. The Nagpur Municipal Corporation has allocated Rs 2 crore for this year’s 145-year-old festival. Furthermore, this is the first time NMC has made such a major financial provision for this traditional event.

NMC wants to give the festival a larger platform. Moreover, it plans to promote Marbat-Badgya as a cultural attraction at national and international level. As a result, the 145-year-old celebration is set for a significant transformation this year.

How the Rs 2 Crore Was Approved

The Rs 2 crore allocation came through NMC’s annual budget. Furthermore, Standing Committee Chairperson Shivani Dani Wakhare proposed the provision. The budget approved it formally. As a result, NMC now has dedicated funds to professionally organise the festival for the first time in its history.

Mayor Neeta Thakre reviewed preparations at a special meeting on Monday. The meeting was held at Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Memorial Standing Committee Hall. Moreover, it was attended by MLA Pravin Datke, Standing Committee Chairperson Dani Wakhare, Ruling Party Leader Narendra Borkar, Municipal Commissioner Vipin Itankar, Traffic DCP Aditya Mirkhelkar, Deputy Commissioners Rajesh Bhagat and Mangesh Khavle, and representatives of the Kali-Pili Marbat and Badgya festival committees.

What NMC Will Do With the Rs 2 Crore

The civic body has drawn up a specific plan for using the festival funds. Here is what is being organised.

First, the entire Marbat-Badgya procession route will be cleaned and fixed before the festival. Potholes will be filled. Hanging electrical wires will be removed. Other obstructions along the route will be cleared. Furthermore, Commissioner Itankar has directed officials to complete all route preparations well before the festival date.

Second, arrangements will be made for electricity and drinking water at all key points along the procession route. Moreover, stages will be set up at prominent locations along the route. Welcome gates will be installed to mark the procession path. As a result, the entire experience for participants and spectators will be significantly better than in previous years.

Third, traffic police will coordinate closely with NMC to manage the large crowds expected during the procession. Furthermore, smooth crowd movement and public safety will be the top priority during the event.

Special Coordination Committee Being Formed

Mayor Thakre directed NMC to immediately form a special coordination committee. Furthermore, this committee will include representatives from NMC departments, Nagpur Police and the festival organising committees.

This committee will oversee all preparations and implementation. Moreover, it ensures that no single department works in isolation. As a result, the festival preparations will be coordinated in a structured and professional manner — for the first time in the festival’s 145-year history.

New Ideas Being Planned — Logo, VIP Guests and Memorabilia

Beyond infrastructure, NMC is also planning several new promotional initiatives. These will give Marbat-Badgya a more visible presence beyond Nagpur.

A new logo is being designed based on the traditional festival slogan — “Eda Pida Gheun Ja Ge Marbat” — which translates as “Take away all our troubles and afflictions, O Marbat.” Furthermore, this slogan captures the festival’s deep social and spiritual significance for Nagpur’s residents.

NMC plans to invite nationally and internationally renowned personalities to attend the festival. Moreover, special mementos and memorabilia will be distributed to visitors as part of the promotional campaign. As a result, visitors will carry a piece of Nagpur’s cultural heritage home with them.

Officials are also working on thematic concepts for the Marbat and Badgya floats. Furthermore, they are exploring new ideas to make the festival more visually attractive. However, the key condition is that these new ideas must not dilute the festival’s traditional character. Therefore, innovation and tradition will need to be carefully balanced.

What Is Marbat-Badgya — The 145-Year History

Many people outside Nagpur may be unfamiliar with this unique festival. Therefore, here is a brief background.

Marbat-Badgya is one of Nagpur’s oldest and most distinctive cultural traditions. It is approximately 145 years old. Furthermore, the festival centres on large effigy figures — the Marbat and the Badgya — which are paraded through the streets of Nagpur in a grand procession.

The Marbat is a female effigy representing evil, disease, and social problems. Moreover, the Badgya is a male effigy with similar symbolic significance. During the procession, the effigies are burned — symbolically taking away the community’s problems and afflictions. Therefore, the festival carries deep spiritual meaning for Nagpur’s residents.

However, Marbat-Badgya has always been more than just a religious ritual. MLA Pravin Datke highlighted this at Monday’s meeting. He said Marbat-Badgya was a festival of ordinary citizens that had historically served as a medium to highlight social issues. Furthermore, banners and messages on the effigies traditionally address social problems, corruption, inequality and civic failures.

Why NMC’s Involvement Is Significant

For 145 years, Marbat-Badgya has survived and thrived without major government support. Furthermore, it has been organised by community groups — particularly the Kali-Pili Marbat and Badgya committees — on the strength of public donations and volunteer effort.

However, the scale of community participation has grown significantly over the decades. Moreover, the logistical demands of organising a large procession through Nagpur’s busy streets have increased correspondingly. Therefore, NMC’s decision to step in with Rs 2 crore and professional coordination represents a genuine shift in how the city treats its most important cultural tradition.

Standing Committee Chairperson Dani Wakhare explained the civic body’s intent clearly. She said NMC wanted to increase public participation and showcase the city’s heritage to a wider audience. Furthermore, she confirmed the plan to promote Marbat-Badgya at national and international level.

If executed well, this could transform Marbat-Badgya from a beloved Nagpur-local tradition into a recognised cultural event on Maharashtra’s tourism calendar — alongside Pune’s Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations and Mumbai’s Gudi Padwa processions.

What MLA Datke Said — The Public Voice

MLA Pravin Datke’s appeal at Monday’s meeting captured the community sentiment around this initiative. He urged NMC to ensure adequate public amenities throughout the festival. Moreover, he called on all stakeholders to work collectively to take the festival to the global stage.

His emphasis on Marbat-Badgya as a “festival of ordinary citizens” is an important reminder. Furthermore, any professional development of this event must keep its grassroots character intact. As a result, the NMC’s coordination committee will need to work in genuine partnership with the traditional festival committees — not replace them.

Nagpur Updates will cover the Marbat-Badgya festival 2026 comprehensively as the event approaches. Furthermore, we will report on the special coordination committee’s formation, the procession route improvements and all major announcements related to this year’s celebrations.