Gangaur one of the colorful festival of Rajasthan

Gangaur festival of Rajasthan Known for the 'Gori' Puja

By @Kurt

As we all know Rajasthan is that state of India having about massive hill forts, marvelous temples, gleaming palaces, and religious places with colorful and vibrant bazaars.

Ladies at the Gangaur Ghat, Udaipur

One can find people of Rajasthan fun and respectful under the colorful ghunnghats and turbans.  Besides the curlicue mustaches, brightly hued turbans and heavy silver ornaments, these people know how to charm you with their laughter, love, and zest for life. Most of the people here are Marwari, as they belong to the Marwar region of Rajasthan. They are really good, polite and helpful.

People of Rajasthan are even willing to welcome you into their homes and they will not allow you to leave the house unless you have water if you don’t agree to join them for their scrumptious feast.

People in Rajasthan celebrate many festivals and one of them is the Gangaur festival. Although the Gangaur festival is celebrated some other states of India as well some of these states are Gujarat, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana.

Gangaur festival is one of the colorful festivals of Rajasthan. It is also one of the most important festivals for the people of Rajasthan. It is celebrated throughout the Rajasthan with a great fervor and devotion by women who worship Gauri, which is known as the wife of Lord Shiva.

The Gangaur festival is celebrated during the month of March–April. It is also celebrated to welcome spring and to celebrate the harvest and marital fidelity.

The word 'Gangaur' is a mix of two words as 'Gana' which is a synonym for Lord Shiva and 'Gaur' which stands for Gauri or Parvati who symbolizes the marital bliss. It is also seen that the unmarried women in Rajasthan worship Gauri for being blessed with a good husband. While it is said that the married women worship her for the welfare, health and long life of their husbands and also for a happy married life.

The festival starts on the first day of Chaitra month according to the Hindu calendar and the festival continues for the next 16 days. During this festival, the ladies paint their hands and feet with various designs and traditional symbols drawn with henna/Mehndi.

On the evening of the 7th day, the unmarried girls go around while caroling songs of gudli carrying earthen pots on their heads with a burning lamp inside the pots. In the evening they break pots and throw the debris into the well or a pond.

The crowd gathered to watch Gangaur Festival at Jagdish Temple, Udaipur

The Gangaur festival reaches its climax during the last three days. The images and idols of Gauri are dressed in colorful and new garments, that are specially made for this occasion.

At a specified hour in the afternoon, everyone moves towards a garden, a well or a pond with the idols and images of Gauri. These images and the idols are taken by placing them on the heads by the women. Rajasthani Songs are sung by the women about the departure of Gauri to her husband's house. On the final day, the women bid farewell to Gauri and the Gangaur festival comes to its end.

So much of Colors, Drama, and believes these Rajasthani festivals own, one certainly visit Rajasthan at least once to have the impression themselves.