Gangaur Festival
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.
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.
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