Gangaur Festival
Gangaur is the most important local festival in Rajasthan. A spring festival unique to
Rajasthan, married women evoke the blessings of Gauri and pray for the long life of their
husbands, unmarried girls dress up in their finest clothes and wish for good ones.
Although it is celebrated throughout the state of Rajasthan with great enthusiasm and
fervor, the celebrations in Jaipur, Udaipur and Jaisalmer reaches the highest pitch.
The festival is held in honor of Gauri (Parvati), the goddess of abundance. Gangaur
symbolizes marital happiness achieved by Gauri. The festival is also celebrated with great
pomp and show in Bikaner, Jodhpur and Nathdwara.
Excellent in Jaisalmer, when the local Raja heads the procession amid an entourage of
camels, and in Mt Abu, where effigies of Gauri (Parvati) and Isa (Shiva) - the ideal
couple - are carried through the streets along with potted rice and flowers which hark
back to the days when this was primarily a harvest festival.
Unmarried girls worship the goddess throughout the preceding fortnight. Colorful images
of Gauri, beautifully dressed and bejeweled, are taken out in procession with the town
band. A boat procession in Pichola Lake adds to the gaiety of celebrations in Udaipur.
Thousands of people from all over the state throng here to participate in the procession
of the Gangaur image from village to village. The tribal youth have an opportunity of
meeting freely and during this time, they select partners and marry by eloping. |
