The Gangaur Festival (25-Mar-2012)
Submitted by admin on Tue, 03/22/2011 - 12:55
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The Gangaur Festival is the most important local festival of Rajasthan and is observed throughout the state with great fervour and devotion by womenfolk who worship Gauri, the consort of Lord Shiva. Gan is a synonym for Shiva and Gaur, which stands for Gauri or Parvati who symbolises 'saubhagya' (marital bliss). Gauri is the embodiment of perfection and conjugal love, which is why the unmarried women worship her for being blessed with good husbands, while married women do so for the welfare, health and long life of their spouses and a happy married and long life of their life. |
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Rites and Ritual |
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The festival commences on the first day of Chaitra (the day following Holi) and continues for 18 days. For newly-wedded girls, it is mandatory to perform the puja for 18 days of the festival that succeeds her marriage. And after doing ujman of gangaur then they need to perform the puja only for 1 day i.e. the last day of gangaur only. Most of the unmarried girls observe this festival for the full period of 18 days but that's not mandatory, they can perform the puja for 1 day; i.e, the last day of gangaur.
Images and Paintings
A week after Holi, women make clay images of Gauri and Isar. The ritual is made colourful and joyous with the traditional folk songs sung in praise of Gauri. In some families, permanent wooden images are painted afresh every year by reputed painters called 'matherans' on the eve of the festival.
Ghudlia
On the evening of the seventh day after Holi, unmarried girls take out a parade with ghudlia and singing songs related to it carrying the pots with a burning lamp inside, on their heads.
Ghudlias are earthen pots with numerous holes all around and a lamp lit inside them. On their way, they collect small presents of cash, sweets, jaggery, ghee, oil etc. This continues for 10 days i.e. upto the conclusion of the Gangaur Festival when the girls break their pots and throw the debris into a well or a tank and enjoy a feast with the collections made.
Mehandi
The ladies decorate their hands and feet by drawing designs with 'mehandi' (myrtle paste). The figures drawn range from the Sun, Moon and the stars to simple flowers or geometrical designs.
Gauri's Departure
The festival reaches its climax during the last three days. The images of Gauri and Isar are dressed in new garments especially made for the occasion. Unmarried girls and married women decorate the images and make them look like living figures. 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 or a river with the images of Isar and Gauri, placed on the heads of married women. The women bid farewell to Gauri and turn their steps homewards with tears in their eyes and the Gangaur Festival comes to an end.
Gangaur among the Girasias
The Girasia tribe, who live in Sirohi-Mount Abu region, celebrate Gangaur as a continuation of festivities from Holi to Akshaya Tritiya - lasting for more than a month. They go from village to village singing, dancing and extending invitations while carrying the images of Gangaur. The images are brought back to the village from where they started. During the festival, eligible boys and girls of the tribe select their life partners and elope with them. This form of marriage has the sanction of the community.
Gangaur aptly reflects the rich cultural heritage of Rajasthan and is celebrated with great pomp and show in Bikaner, Jodhpur, Marathwara and Jaisalmer. Gangaur Festival is also observed at some places in Gujarat.
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