Gangaur is one of the numerous striking festivals enjoyed with great excitement and delight all across the Indian state of Rajasthan. In the concept Gangaur, ‘Gan’ is the equivalent for Lord Shiva whereas ‘Gaur’ reaches for Gauri or Goddess Parvati. Although essentially, this celebration is accommodated in the celebration of Goddess Parvati as she is considered as the embodiment of conjugal love, vitality, spirit, power, and excellence. Throughout the festivities, united ladies admire Goddess Parvati for the continued life, well implying and wealth of their companions while the girls appeal for preparing a smart and a harmony life partner. The celebration is celebrated in the month of Chaitra, the initial month of the Hindu calendar and falls in within March and April, according to Gregorian calendar. It starts on the very first day Chaitra month, the day after Holi and is honored for 18 days. Also, it indicates the termination of the winter season and the approach of the spring season.
Women and girls commemorate fast throughout this festive occasion and eat solely once in a day. Images of Gauri and Isar (Lord Shiva) are executed with the clay and polished quite wonderfully. On the other hand, in fascinating of the Rajput families, models are constructed of wood each year before the festival they are designed by the famous craftsmen who are denominated as ‘Matherans’. The models which are presented throughout this time do not have covers. Women and girls, through the festival, carry new dresses, enhance themselves with jewelry and make designs on their palms and feet by applying mehandi (henna). On the 7th-day evening, girls bring ‘ghudilas’, which are clay vessels with many slots inside which a lantern is lit, on their heads. They compose songs of Gangaur and are given rewards in the style of money, ghee, sweets, jaggery, etc. by the ancestors of the family as a symbol of love.
This ceremony goes on for 10 days and on the current day women and girls split the pots and project the broken parts into a well or a tank; the pottery figurines created by the married women are also dipped in water on the last day of the festival. This parade is managed by a picturesque appearance of elephants, old palanquins, chariots, bullock carts, and special folk performers. People irrespective of their class and creed come to recognize and to be a part of the cavalcade.
Eminence
Gangaur is essentially glorified in the northern republics of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, and Gujarat. Nevertheless, the festival is a significant function in Rajasthan and it endures prominent importance for Rajasthani women. Gangaur Teej indicates the commencement of the 16-day fasting followed by Rajasthani women. Wedded as well as bachelor women worship Goddess Parvati on the day and contribute Pujas, Aarthis, and Prasad in new eccentric clothes. A picturesque parade with lots of colorful lights and flowers is also tendered in many parts of the state. Gangaur is estimated to be a celebration of monsoon and yield. Gangaur signifies the end of winter and the appearance of spring.
Chronicle of Gangaur Festival
Parvati or Gauri, the spouse of Shiva is a representative of achievement and commitment and analyzed a mythological symbol for coupled women. The celebration is accommodated in her truthfulness. Gangaur is the most powerful social festival in Rajasthan and is commemorated with great joy. The traditional idea connected with the celebration is that if bachelor girls witness the ceremonies of this festival they get an accurate life companion of their choosing. And if the married women perceive the same, she is said to be endowed with a happy wedded life and prolonged life of their partners. The festivities in Jaipur and Udaipur have an individual charm and performance of Gangaur Celebrations. The festivities produce approximately a fortnight ere the main day of the festival. Girls admire the goddess all within the fortnight before the foremost performance day. An assortment of women from the city continues a cavalcade and lead bright icons of Gauri. Several people from nearby communities also arrive to take element in the parade and roam around with them from village to village.
A touch of glamour is felt in the environment as the occurrence also provides an occasion to tribular men and women to evolve in association with each other, to engage and communicate unobstructedly; this encourages them to choose companions of their choosing and marrying by absconding. It is an individual thing concerning this festival.
The festival originates from the first day of Chaitra or from the subsequent day of Holi and extends for 18 days. The festival commences with the practice of accumulating ashes from the Holi Fire and implanting the grains of barley in it. After it, the seeds are soaked everyday anticipating the germination. It is necessary for a newly-wedded girl to witness the full curriculum of 18 days of the enjoyment and keep fast to assure her wedding do well. Despite unmarried girls fast for the full duration of the 18 days and eat only one meal a day.
For 16 days Gangaur is celebrated by unmarried girls, incite from gauri teej, with a request to get an attractive, loving and noble partner. Married women join them on the final and last day. Besides requesting a proper detonator the girls invocate and request for benefits for their brothers. The women dress up gorgeously as the appeal goes -if you are well groomed while entreating you will be bestowed a well-dressed companion to separate her own.
And eventually the day of separation comes and Gangaur moves he mother’s accommodation there is the yearning for her statement the next year. For 16 days every morning and evening songs are versified amazing describe a Mahadev Gora(Parvati) fiction, any definite promises and some represent the fun relationship of jija (brother- in- law) and sali wherever Mahadev or Isarji is the jija and we the worshippers are his salis (sister-in-law).
The Shiva Parvati proletariat legends, interestingly spin throughout elementary human inclinations. Shiva and Parvati are spiritual authorities who can shape the progression of events. Shiva is portrayed as a dignified but not well groomed, mature, patient, sensible and far-sighted person. Whereas Parvati is portrayed as an exceptionally beautiful highly extemporaneous excitable idealistic person. Both partners are remarkably romantic and faithful. All the knowledge of Shiva has left down as he truly does precisely what his lady demands. Moreover, though Shiva advises Parvati she constantly declines to contribute. And Shiva servings for no besides and kowtows to her wishes. Parvati is, of course, wretched with the outcomes affecting her choices and Shiva warns her of his predictions and Parvati understands her misunderstanding.
Ceremonies of Gangaur Festival
The primary significant observance of the picturesque celebration of Gangaur is the acquisition of ashes from the Holi fire and burying of wheat and barley grains in it. These grains are the religiously soaked each day until the germination needs a place. The ritual is completed with lyrics of Isar and Gauri (Shiva and Parvati) and the altering of buckets of water on the peak.
A week later Holi, women secure earth models of Gauri and Isar. The custom is caused by colorful and joyous among the traditional folk songs versified in recognition of Gauri.
Nevertheless, Gangaur Festival festivities approaches its top throughout the last three days of the celebration. At this time women necessitate personal concern to enhance themselves and also the clay statues that they had concocted. At a propitious hour in the afternoon, an approach is carried out to a garden, cistern or a well with the idols of Isar and Gauri, laid on the heads of married women.
Gangaur aptly exhibits the wealthy artistic convention of Rajasthan and is caroused with great magnificence and show in Bikaner, Jodhpur, Marathwara, and Jaisalmer. Gangaur Festival is further remarked at some places in Gujarat.
Central Attraction of Gangaur Festival
The immediate three days of the celebration are the various incident as the Gauri’s are decorated in lovely clothes and embellishments and the women who have continued their fast dress their models as per their will. A parade is hired out throughout the afternoons anywhere the idols are overwhelmed on the top of their head and songs of Gauri and Isar are sung next those women. On the last date, the idols and the vessels are then flown into the water and the fast is closed by the women where the festival further reaches to a conclusion.
