Rajasthan: Gangaur festival

April 5, 2022

The Gangaur festival is celebrated in Rajasthan and some parts of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and West Bengal. It is one of Rajasthan’s most important festivals and is observed with great fervour across the state.

Overview:

The women worship Gauri, the wife of Lord Shiva during the period of this festival which is from March to April.
This festival celebrates the harvest, spring, childbearing, and marital fidelity.
The unmarried women worship Gauri to seek her blessings for finding a good husband.
The married women worship her for health, welfare, happy married life, and long life of their husbands.

Celebration of Gangaur Festival in West Bengal

The people who had migrated to Kolkata, West Bengal from Rajasthan started celebrating the Gangaur festival. In Kolkata, this celebration is now being celebrated for more than 100 years.

Rituals of this festival

On the first day of Chaitra, the day following Holi, this festival begins and continues for a period of 16 days. For a girl who is newly wedded, it is mandatory to observe this festival. Also, unmarried girls fast during this festival for 16 days and eat only one meal every day. The festival ends on the third day of Shukla paksha of the Chaitra Month. Throughout this period Gangaur Melas are held.

Images made for this festival

For this festival, images of Gauri and Isar are made of clay. Permanent wooden images are painted in some Rajput families annually by reputed painters who are known as matherans on the eve of this festival.

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