Exploring Gangaur 2024 Festival : A Colorful Celebration of Marital Bliss
What is the Significance of Gangaur 2024 Festival?
Gangaur 2024 festival is one of the vibrant and colorful festivals celebrated in Northern Indian states, mainly in Rajasthan. Every year, the married woman worships Lord Shiva and goddess Parvati to pray for the well-being of their married life and spouse.
When is Gangaur 2024?
The Ganguar festival celebration holds importance and significance in Rajasthan, India. Apart from Rajasthan, other North Indian States where you can see Gangaur festival celebrations are Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh. The festival is also known as Gauri Tritiya, as the festival is dedicated to Goddess Gauri or Parvati. The festival of Gangaur goes on for 18 days and begins on the first day of Chaitra, which is the next day of the Holi festival 25 March 2024. So, the pooja performed by the married women of the Ganguar will commence on 11 April 2024.
| Triitiya Tithi Begins | At 5:32 PM | 10 April 2024 |
| End of Tritiya Tithi | At 3:03 PM | 11 April 2024 |
What are the Historical and Cultural Significances of the Gangaur Festival?
The story behind the festival says that once Lord Shiva and Mata Parvati were on earth with Narad Muni. They came across a village, where poor women offered them available fruit and food items to the divine presence. Goddess Gauri and Lord Shiva were pleased by their devotion. Then, Goddess Gauri blessed the women with lasting marriages by sprinkling “Suhagras” on them. After those village women, the upper-class women got the information about Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati’s presence, they also came to the palace and offered them various delicious dishes.
Lord Shiva and Goddess Guari accepted their devotion, and when Lord Shiva asked Goddess Parvati what she would give to these women as no “Suhugras” were left, the Goddess cut her finger and sprinkled the blood on these women. The Goddess blesses them with the same blessings. After this event, Goddess Parvati bathed in a nearby river and worshiped Lord Shiva in the form of lingam. Lord Shiva appeared in front of her and announced that all married women who worship Goddess Parvati and him on the first lunar day of Chaitra will be blessed with a long married life.
How is the Gangaur Festival Celebrated?
Unmarried women also celebrate the Gangaur festival and pray for a good life partner to the divine couple. The women celebrate the Gangaur festival in the following manner:
- Women keep fast for the 18 days of Gangaur, they only eat one meal a day, which consists of milk, fruits, and various snacks.
- After the Holi celebration, the women put the ashes of Holika Dhan in a pot and plant the seeds of wheat or barley on the pot.
- Women sing various traditional Gangaur songs in praise of the Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva and perform the rituals happily.
- Women made the idols of Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva from clay and worshiped them on the day of Gangaur.
- On the day of Gangaur, the women wake up early and take a bath to worship the clay idols they made and listen to the Katha of Ganguar.
- Unmarried women keep a clay pot on their heads, which have holes all around.
- In the last three days, you will see many fairs and events in Rajasthan for the celebration of the Gangaur festivals. These days married and unmarried women decorate their idols with clothes and pieces of jewelry.
- On the last day, the women keep their idols on their heads and head out of their houses singing departure songs. The devotees bid farewell to the divine couple as they immersed them in a river or pond, and sought blessings from them.
What are the Special Events during Rajasthan Gangaur Celebrations?
The celebration of Gangaur in Rajasthan is a sight to see.
- Ganguar Mela: On the occasion of Gangaur, a fair is organized in many cities of Rajasthan. The mela becomes a place where people meet and choose the life partner of their children of marriage age as Ganguar is considered the auspicious time to select your life partner.
- Gangaur route from City Palace: A rally of women is a center of attraction on the day of Gangaur that commences from the Zenani-Deodhi City Palace of Jaipur to Talkatora. Women in traditional attires and idols on their heads singing the departure songs with drum rolls and chariots is a sight to see in Rajasthan.
Gangaur festival holds great importance for women, as they worship the divine couple of Lord Shiva and Goddess Gauri to pray for their spouse’s well-being and a blissful married life. The festival is the celebration of spring, childbearing, harvest, and marital bliss.
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