GANGAUR FESTIVAL – RAJASTHAN

Gangaur is a vivid and rejoiced festival of Rajasthan, celebrated for 18 days. During it, married women worship Goddess Parvati for the well-being, wealth and long life of their husbands while unmarried girls pray for a good life partner. The festival is held in Chaitra month, which falls between March and April, marking the winter season’s end and the commencement of the spring season.

Women and girls take food only once in a day, and observe fast for the rest of the day.  The women folk make clay images of Gauri and Shiva and decorate those. Women and girls, wear new clothes, apply henna on their palms and feet, and adorn themselves with jewelry. On seventh day’s evening, girls, on their heads, carry earthen pots with several holes inside which there is a lit lamp is lit. They sing songs and receive gifts from the family elders as a token of love.

On the last day, girls and women break the pots and throw the broken pieces along with the clay idols into a tank or a well. After this they hold a grand procession headed by old palanquins, bullock carts, chariots, performance of folk artistes, and elephants. 

By: Angel

Content: Wikipedia