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The most important local festival in Rajasthan, Gangaur is
held about a fortnight after Holi and the
celebrations go on for eighteen days. The festival
is held in honor of Gauri, a manifestation of
goddess Parvati, the wife of Lord Shiva. The
festival is celebrated by girls and married women
throughout Rajasthan. Images of Gauri are
ornamented and offerings are made. This is also an
auspicious time for young people to select their
life partners. Colorful processions with the town
band, horses, and elaborate palanquins make it a
fascinating spectacle.
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TIME OF THE
YEAR
Ganesh
Chaturthi falls on the fourth day of Bhadrapada
(August/September) month of Indian calendar. The
celebration of this festival is followed
according to the Indian calendar and hence the
month in the English calendar varies every year.
The festival is celebrated for as many as ten
days in areas like Maharashtra, Pune, and nearby
areas.
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CELEBRATIONS
The Gangaur festival is celebrated throughout
Rajasthan with great enthusiasm but the
celebrations in Jaipur and Udaipur have their
own special charm. The festival is also
celebrated with great pomp and show in Bikaner,
Jodhpur, Marathwara and Jaisalmer. Girls worship
the goddess throughout the fortnight. Colorful
images of Gauri, beautifully dressed and
bejeweled, are taken out in a procession
accompanied by the town band.
A boat procession is taken out on the Pichola
Lake in Udaipur. Women balancing several brass
pitchers on their heads add to the gaiety of the
Udaipur celebrations. Thousands of people from
the countryside come to take part in the
procession of Gangaur, which goes around from
village to village. Tribal men and women get the
opportunity to meet and interact freely and
during this time, they select partners and elope
to marry. An unusual, romantic custom sanctioned
by the community, it helps many young people
find their life partner.
RITUALS
The festival commences on the first day of
Chaitra, the day following Holi and continues
for 18 days. For a new bride, it is binding to
observe all the rituals and fasts specified for
the 18 days of the first Gangaur after her
marriage. Even unmarried girls fast for the full
period of 18 days and eat only one meal a day in
the hope of finding a good husband. Girls dress
up in their finest clothes and pray for a spouse
of their choice, while married women do the same
for the happiness and long life of their
husbands.
LEGENDS
Goddess Parvati is the symbol of virtue and
fidelity and is the mythological role model of
married women. It is believed that she holds all
the qualities of a good wife. The word Gangaur
signifies Lord Shiva and Parvati together. Gan
is a synonym for Shiva and Gaur stands for Gauri,
who symbolizes saubhagya (marital bliss). Gauri
is the embodiment of perfection and conjugal
love and unmarried women worship her to be
blessed with good husbands, while married women
do so for the welfare, health and long life of
their spouses and a long, happy married life.
According
to local belief, during this period, goddess
Parvati had returned to her parental home to bless
her friends with marital bliss. On the last day of
her stay, she was given a grand farewell by her
loved ones. The festival ends in rejoicing, with
the arrival of Shiva to escort his bride, Gauri,
home, accompanied by horses and elephants
REGIONAL CELEBRATIONS
In Bikaner, married women and maidens fast during
the festival. They prepare sweet dishes, carry
them to a well, make an offering to the goddess,
and return home distributing these as prasad on
the way.
In Jaipur, a sweet dish called ghewar is
characteristic of the Gangaur festival. People eat
ghewar and distribute it among their friends and
relatives too. A procession, carrying the image of
Gauri, forms at the Palace Gate known as Tripolia
and moves on the city streets passing Chaugan and
on to Talkatora. A vast gathering of the people of
Jaipur and villagers from nearby areas witness the
procession.
The fair of lotias is a distinctive feature of the
Gangaur celebrations in Jodhpur. Early in the
morning, thousands of maidens, clad in their best
attire, singing melodious songs bring water and
durba grass in silver or brass pots to a place
known as Girdikot. People from in and around
Jodhpur come to the fair to be a part of the
revelry.
In Nathdwara,
the procession of Gangaur continues for 7 days.
Each day, a particular color is chosen for the
dress of the goddess. On the last day of the
festival, the image of Gauri is dressed in black
with golden lace and women carrying the image
too are dressed in a similar fashion. This
indicates the final departure of Gauri.
In Udaipur, the
images of Isar and Gauri are taken in a procession
to Pichola Lake and are taken around the lake for
an hour. The ceremony comes to an end with a
display of fireworks on the banks of the lake.
In
Banswara, the procession is taken out from the
Zenana Deorhi to Singhvashi Chowk, both areas
within the palace compound, and traditional
religious ceremonies are performed.
People of the Girasia tribe, who live in the
Sirohi-Mount Abu region, celebrate Gangaur as a
continuation of festivities from Holi to Akshaya
Tritiya - lasting for more than a month. They go
from village to village singing, dancing and
extending invitations while carrying the images of
Gangaur. The images are brought back to the
village from where they started. During the
festival, eligible boys and girls of the tribe
select their life partners and elope with them.
This form of marriage has the sanction of the
community.
In Bengal, more particularly at Nabadwip and
Santipur, and in Orissa, a similar ritual called
Doljatra, is observed by the Vaishnavites.
PLACES TO VISIT
The ultimate place to witness the spectacular
Gangaur festival definitely is Rajasthan. The
festival is celebrated in almost every part of
Rajasthan with its related tradition and rituals.
And in every part of the state, one can observe
the differences in the celebrations and
festivities of Gangaur.
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Indian Fair
& Festivals
Taj
Mahotsav
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Desert
Fair
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Suraj
Kund Mela
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Gangaur
Festival
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Pushkar
Fair
/
Elephant
Fair
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International
Kite Festival
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