Introduction
Fairs
and festivals are a way of life in Rajasthan. The festivities create a
cultural milieu that visitors never fail to soak in. The Gangaur Festival is
the most significant local festival in the state of Rajasthan. The city of
Jaipur, during the grand event, come alive with a riot of colours and
processions that continue for as many as as eighteen days. The festival is
organised to honour Gauri, a manifestation of goddess Parvati, the consort
of Lord Shiva. It is also taken as an auspicious occasion to look for and
choose their life partners. The celebration is marked with colourful
processions as musical bands, horses and palanquins follow to make an
enchanting scene of it all.
Celebrations
The Gangaur Festival falls during August/ September. According to Hindu
calendar, the festival begins on the first day of Chaitra, the day following
Holi. However, the festivities are held all over Rajasthan, cities of Jaipur
and Udaipur witness it at its best. Bejewelled and colourfully embellished
images of Gauri are taken out in the processions. Town bands accompany the
processions. Girls pay their tributes to the goddess all through the
fortnight. A new bride finds it mandatory to observe all the rites and
rituals that the festival involves. Girls keep fast for the whole span of 18
days, looking forward to finding matching husbands for themselves. Married
women too observe the rituals and pray for the welfare of their future life.
Goddess Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva,
symbolises virtue and loyalty. Therefore, Hindu women and girls take her as
their role model. Parvati is considered to have all the characteristics of a
good wife. Legend has it, that during this period goddess Parvati had paid a
visit to her paternal home to meet and bless her friends. And the day she
was leaving, she was given a grand farewell. Lord Shiva also made a visit to
her consort's paternal home, to escort her back. Horses and elephants had
accompanied Shiva on his journey. Going by the mythology, the festival ends
in merrymaking and rejoicing.
Thousands of devotees arrive at Jaipur to partake in the religious
processions. The vast procession moves from village to village as the
musical bands follow with their drums beating. Besides being religiously
crucial, the festival also is an opportunity for the tribal folks to
interact with the one another. They look for their perfect partners and
elope if they find the right match.
Other Attractions
The
city of Jaipur is replete with forts, palaces and havelis. While on a trip
to the city, you can also explore a number of architectural sites. The most
popular of the them are as follows.
» City Palace
» Hawa Mahal
» Jantar Mantar
» Amber Fort
» Ram Niwas Bagh
» Jaigarh Fort
» Nahargarh Fort
» Govind Deoji Temple
» Rambagh Palace
» Kanak Valley
» Lakshmi Narayan Temple
» Sawai Mansingh Museum
Reaching Options
262 km from Delhi, the city of Jaipur has well established air, rail and
road routes. The Sanganer Airport has direct links to places like Delhi,
Kolkata, Mumbai, Ahemdabad, Jodhpur and Udaipur. Through rail route, the
city connects itself to Delhi, Agra, Mumbai, Chennai, Bikaner, Jodhpur,
Udaipur and Ahmedabad. Regular air-conditioned coaches and buses are also
available from across Rajasthan, Delhi and other neighbouring states.
