|
Home :: Rajasthan
Fairs and Festivals :: Gangaur Festival, Jaipur
Gangaur Festival, Jaipur

Rajasthan Luxury Tours Query Form
(* represents compulsory fields)
|
|
|
Jaipur, commonly referred to as the Pink City of Rajasthan not only
abounds in rich tourist spots but also celebrates special occasions
of life in high spirits. Dashed with bright colors the celebrations
in Jaipur are something which you must witness. Jaipur celebrates
several small and big events with equal élan. The common feature
of all the events is that these events are observed on a very grand
scale irrespective of their cultural, religious and fun connotations.
Of all the festivals the one that is observed in other states as well
apart from Rajasthan is Gangaur, Jaipur.
The celebration for Gangaur in Jaipur is held after two weeks of the
Holi. It is one of the very interesting local festivals and is observed
in the honor of goddess Parvati or Gauri, the consort of Lord Shiva.
In this festival both married and unmarried women take part.
Spinsters or unmarried women very enthusiastically take part in the
celebration of Gangaur, Jaipur because goddess Parvati or Gauri is
regarded as the symbolic representation of perfection and connubial
love. Not only this, they also worship goddess with full devotion
so that they are blessed with good life partners. However married
women celebrate Gangaur in Jaipur to be blessed to enjoy long and
happy married life and to ensure wellbeing of the husband.
This very colorful and exuberant event of Gangaur in Jaipur lasts
for 18 days. However, the culmination of this event comes when Lord
Shiva come to escort his consort or better half, goddess Parvati to
home.
In the celebrations of Jaipur Gangaur, idols of Gauri are adorned
beautifully. Worshippers give various offerings to the images. Women
put henna or Mehendi on their palms and feet which is an age old and
auspicious Hindu tradition. Women sing different songs and go door
to door with earthen pots having many holes all around with a lamp
illuminated aside called ghudlias to collect presents of cash, sweets,
jaggery, ghee and oil. This ritual is followed till the last day of
the event. When the last day of the festival comes girls break their
earthen pots and cast off the debris into a well or tank. Later they
bask in the revelry of feasting with the collections they had made.
Gangaur, Jaipur is a very exciting festival. It is touted to be the
right time to choose better halves. In fact reposing faith in this
there is a group of tribal men and women who select partners and elope
to marry.
Truly speaking celebrations of Gangaur in Jaipur present one of the
colorful cultural aspects of Rajasthan. Although, some regional variations
can be perceived but the spirit with which it is observed remains
the same. Town band, horses, and elaborate palanquins are an integral
part of the procession contribute in a major way to the awesome ambience.
|