Gangaur is colourful festivals of people of Rajasthan, other than Rajasthan, it is a festival which is also celebrated in the Indian state of West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and some parts of Gujarat. It is one of the most important festivals of people of Rajasthan and is celebrated all over the state with great passion and religious observance by womenfolk who worship Maa Gauri, the wife of Lord Shiva for the duration of the month of March and April. It is also the celebration of spring, harvest and marital loyalty.
Significance of Gangaur
Gana is an alternative word for Lord Shiva and Gaur which stands for Maa Gauri or Maa Parvati who represents Saubhagya (marital bliss). The single women worship her for being blessed with a noble husband, while on the other hand wedded women do so for the well-being, good shape and long life of their husbands and for a blissful married life. When the people from Rajasthan travelled to Kolkata in West Bengal they started celebrating Gangaur. At the present, this festivity is more than 100 years old in Kolkata. In the year 2018 the date for the festival was in March 20, 2018.
When is Gangaur in 2019?
In the year 2019, the date of Gangaur festival to be celebrated is on 8th April 2019, Monday.
Rites and Rituals
The festival begins on the first day of chaitra, the day next Holi and lasts for 16 days. For a newly-married girl, it is compulsory to perceive the full sequence of 18 days of the festival that prospers her marriage. Even single or unmarried girls fast for the full period of the 18 days and eat one meal a day only.
Festivity completes on 3rd day of Shukla Paksha of Chaitra Month in Hindu calendar. Fairs (Gangaur Melas) are organised all through the 18-day period. Several folklores are related with Gangaur which makes this festival intensely in-built into the hearts of Rajasthan, and parts of Madhya Pradesh, Haryana & Gujarat.
Married as well as unmarried women decorate their hands and feet with the beautiful mehandi designs as also listen to the Vrat Katha on the holy day.
For the festival, the images of Isar and Parvati or Gauri are made of clay. In particular Rajput families, everlasting wooden images are tinted once again every year by fabled painters called matherans on day before the festival. A separate variance in the middle of the idols of Teej and Gangaur is that the Idol will have a canopy all through the Teej Festival while the Gangaur idol would not have any canopy.
Gangaur Puja Timings
Tritiya Tithi Begins: 16:01 on 7th April 2019
Tritiya Tithi Ends: 16:15 on 8th April 2019
