FACTS & FIGURES
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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.
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.
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.
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 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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