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Gangaur Festival |
Jaipur, commonly referred to as the Pink City of Rajasthan not only abounds in rich tourist spots but also celebrates special occasions of life in high spirits. Dashed with bright colors the celebrations in Jaipur are something which you must witness. Jaipur celebrates several small and big events with equal élan. The common feature of all the events is that these events are observed on a very grand scale irrespective of their cultural, religious and fun connotations. Of all the festivals the one that is observed in other states as well apart from Rajasthan is Gangaur, Jaipur.
The celebration for Gangaur in Jaipur is held after two weeks of the Holi. It is one of the very interesting local festivals and is observed in the honor of goddess Parvati or Gauri, the consort of Lord Shiva. In this festival both married and unmarried women take part.
Spinsters or unmarried women very enthusiastically take part in the celebration of Gangaur, Jaipur because goddess Parvati or Gauri is regarded as the symbolic representation of perfection and connubial love. Not only this, they also worship goddess with full devotion so that they are blessed with good life partners. However married women celebrate Gangaur in Jaipur to be blessed to enjoy long and happy married life and to ensure wellbeing of the husband.
This very colorful and exuberant event of Gangaur in Jaipur lasts for 18 days. However, the culmination of this event comes when Lord Shiva come to escort his consort or better half, goddess Parvati to home.In the celebrations of Jaipur Gangaur, idols of Gauri are adorned beautifully. Worshippers give various offerings to the images. Women put henna or Mehendi on their palms and feet which is an age old and auspicious Hindu tradition. Women sing different songs and go door to door with earthen pots having many holes all around with a lamp illuminated aside called ghudlias to collect presents of cash, sweets, jaggery, ghee and oil. This ritual is followed till the last day of the event. When the last day of the festival comes girls break their earthen pots and cast off the debris into a well or tank. Later they bask in the revelry of feasting with the collections they had made.
Gangaur, Jaipur is a very exciting festival. It is touted to be the right time to choose better halves. In fact reposing faith in this there is a group of tribal men and women who select partners and elope to marry.
| Fair and Festivals of Rajasthan |
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