Golden Triangle Tour with Gangaur Festival Jaipur, Indian Golden Triangle Tour, Golden Triangle Tour of India


Gangaur is a significant festival of Jaipur, especially meant for the women. Gangaur festival is widely acclaimed and celebrated throughout the state of Rajasthan. The word Gangaur is derived from two words, 'Gan' and 'Gauri' which are synonyms of 'Siva' and his consort 'Parvati' respectively. The festival of Gangaur starts with the subsequent day of Holi and persists for about 2 weeks. Gangaur is celebrated in the honor of Goddess Gauri, who is considered as the symbol of virtue, devotion, fertility and a perfect married woman. The womenfolk of Rajasthan worship Gauri with all the means of devotion. The married women worship Gauri for the well-being of their husband, while the unmarried girls worship the goddess to get the husband of their choice. The festival begins with the custom of gathering ashes from the Holi Fire and burying the seeds of barley in it. After it, the seeds are watered everyday awaiting the germination. The ceremony takes place with the praiseful songs for Isar (Siva) and Gauri. The women apply henna on their hands to celebrate the auspicious festival. They carry painted matkas (water pots) on their heads. They also make images of Gauri and Isar with clay. On the seventh evening after Holi, unmarried girls assemble and take out a procession with 'Ghudlia' (an earthen pot with holes around and a lamp inside) on their heads. The ceremony continues for a fortnight. The girls are gifted with sweets, ghee and cash by the elders. During the last days of the festival, the celebration reaches to its height. On the final day, lively images of Gauri are taken out in procession escorted by traditionally dressed camels, bullock carts, horses and elephants. Songs are sung about the departure of Gauri to her husband's home. The procession is wrapped up with the breaking of pots and throwing the trash into a tank or pond. This traditional festival of Gangor is celebrated in Jaipur from ages and forms a special attraction for any visitor.

Activities At an auspicious hour in the afternoon, a procession is taken out to a garden, tank or a well with the images of Isar and Gauri, placed on the heads of married women. Songs are sung about the departure of Gauri to her husband's house. The procession comes back after offering water to the image of Gauri, which faces backwards on the first two days. On the final day, she faces in the same direction as Isar and the procession concludes with the consignment of all the images in the waters of a tank or a well. The women bid farewell to Gauri and turn their steps homewards with tears in their eyes and the Festival comes to an end.

History Parvati or gauri is the consort of Shiva, the destroyer. The festival is held in her honour as she is the symbol of virtue and fidelity and as such is the mythological role model of married women. Gangaur is the most important local festival in Rajasthan. It is believed that if unmarried girls observe the rituals of this festival they will get married to the spouses of their choice and married women observe the same for the happiness and long life of their husbands. The celebrations in Jaipur and Udaipur have a unique charm and attraction