Exploring the Rituals and Significance of Gangaur Festival

There are many festivals observed in India where the Gangaur festival holds a significant position. It is primarily celebrated by the Hindus living in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. It is also celebrated in West Bengal in the east and Braj.

According to Hindu religion, Gangaur pooja signifies worshipping Goddess Gauri, also known as Goddess Parvati, wife of Lord Shiva. She is worshipped by women for happiness and harmony in marriage.

Date and Timings

Gangaur festival falls on Tritiya of Shukla Paksha in Chaitra month of Hindu calendar. The timings for Gangaur pooja in 2025 are:

• Start - Tuesday, March 31, 2025, 09:11 AM 
• End - 05:42 AM on Apr 01, 2025

What is Gangaur?

The Gangaur festival is a holy festivity related to Goddess Gauri and her husband Mahadev. Ideally, the term Gangaur is made of two names such as:

• Gana - Lord Shiva
• Gaur - Mata Gauri

It is typically observed by married women in Rajasthan and adjacent states to seek blessings from the goddess to be devoted wives and maintain matrimonial peace and harmony, as well as long lives and health for their husbands. Gangaur pooja is also performed by unmarried women to find an ideal life partner, become a loving wife, and have a happy and peaceful married life.

The Gangaur festival is usually celebrated by fasting and performing Gangaur pooja. According to the inscription in the Vratotsav Sangraha, women typically drink milk only one time on this day. During the Gangaur festival, there are also beautiful processions and cultural events.

Reasons to Celebrate Gangaur Festival

Showing devotion to both Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati is the primary reason to celebrate the Gangaur festival. Their devotion is the way to honor the sacredness of marriage and the power of strong faith between husband and wife. Married women perform Gangaur pooja for a happy marriage, while young girls do it to find a good husband.

However, the mythological significance of the Gangaur festival is to mark the return of Goddess Parvati to Lord Shiva after completing her tough meditation.

Gangaur festival also displays and preserves Hindu culture through traditional folk songs and dances.

Historical Significance of Gangaur

The Gangaur festival has been celebrated for centuries, particularly by the Rajputana community. It holds deep cultural and religious importance, symbolizing the strength and devotion of women in Indian society.

Key Points:

• The festival dates back to the time of Rajput kings, who promoted its celebration among women.
• It showcases Rajasthan’s royal heritage through grand processions and fairs.
• Historically, queens and royal women actively participated in the Gangaur pooja rituals.

Legends Associated with Gangaur

Story of Goddess Parvati

Hindu mythology and legend say that Goddess Parvati won the love of Lord Shiva and achieved heavenly union by performing severe penance on this day.

Royal Rajput link

According to the tradition of the Rajput queens and princesses, performing Gangaur pooja by strict fasting is one of the fundamentals of royal custom. The speciality of this fast is that it is observed secretly by the husband. Even the prasad of Gangaur pooja is not given to the husband. Why? Read on.

Gangaur Vrat Katha

Hindu mythology says that on this day Goddess Parvati went to the river to take a bath. There she made a sand Shivalinga after taking a bath in the river. She worshipped it following all rituals. During the worship, Goddess Parvati offered only the things made of sand and accepted the Prasad of two particles of the same. At last, the puja was completed by doing Pradakshina.

Lord Bholenath, pleased with Goddess Parvati's devotion, appeared in the Shivalinga and blessed her with a boon. The boon said that on this day, the husbands of any woman worshipping the Lord and observing a fast like Goddess Parvati will live a long and happy married life and will also attain Moksha in the end. After granting this boon to Mother Parvati, Lord Shiva disappeared from there.

Goddess Parvati got very late in returning after completing the worship of the Parthiva Shivalinga. Lord Shiva, in the presence of Devarshi Narad, asked the reason for being late, when Parvati Mata said that she found my brothers, sister-in-law and other relatives on the banks of the river. They started insisting her to eat milk and rice and take rest. She accepted their request and that is why she got late.

Lord Shiva playfully said he also wanted to eat milk and rice and moved towards the river bank. Mother Parvati started praying to Lord Shiva in her mind asking him to save her and protect the honor of her words. Mata Parvati, confused in her mind, followed Lord Shiva and saw a grand palace by the river, which caught her attention. On entering the palace, Goddess Parvati's brothers and sisters-in-law along with their entire family were present there. All of them welcomed Lord Shiva grandly and started praising him in various ways. Pleased with their hospitality, Lord Shiva resided in that palace for two days. Then on the third day, Mata Parvati started requesting Lord Shiva to depart. But Lord Shiva wanted to reside in that palace for more time. Therefore, Goddess Parvati left from there alone. Finally, Lord Shiva along with Devarshi Narada followed Parvati Mata.

While walking, when he came very far, Lord Shiva suddenly remembered that he had forgotten his garland at Parvati Mata’s in-laws’ house. Hearing this, Goddess Parvati immediately started going to get the garland, but Lord Shiva stopped her and ordered Devarshi Narada to bring the garland. After reaching the bank of the river, Devarshi Narada saw that there was no palace there. Rather, there is a dense forest at that place, in which various types of predatory animals were roaming. Seeing this horrid scene, Devarshi Narada was astonished and started wondering whether he had come to some other place. But due to the Leela of Lord Shiva, a terrible lightning flashed at that place, due to which Narada saw Lord Shiva's garland hanging on a tree. Devarshi Narada appeared before Lord Shiva with that garland and surprisingly narrated the entire story to Lord Shiva.

Devarshi Narada said to Lord Shiva about the strange story at that place where there was neither that grand palace nor the relatives of Mother Parvati. Rather that place has turned into a dense forest full of violent animals. 

Seeing Devarshi Narada in a surprised state, Lord Shiva smiled softly and said that it was not his work, this was the illusive Leela of Goddess Parvati, which had taken him by surprise. Goddess Parvati is worshipping her Parthiva Shivalinga. She wanted to keep it confidential, and that is why she hide the truth.

Hearing the words of Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati said that she was not worthy of it. It was the result of his kindness only.

Seeing the Leela of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, Devarshi Narada said that Mother Parvati was the goddess of the world and supreme among the devotees of the husband. This Leela has been completed only due to the influence of her vow and faith in her husband. Women will get lasting good fortune just by thinking about her. All achievements come from her and return to her. Therefore, for her, this Leela creation is only a momentary task. Secret worship is more fruitful and effective than ordinary worship.

Therefore, the blessing was given that any woman who secretly worships their husband and prays for their wellbeing will get a long life and a good husband and children by the grace of Lord Shiva.

Symbolism of Gangaur Festival

The Gangaur festival carries deep symbolic meaning in Hindu culture.

Goddess Gauri represents power and devotion. She represents the strength and patience needed in marriage. The handmade clay figures of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati represent the endless love of the holy pair. Also, women using mehndi and dressing up in traditional attire that  indicates wealth and happiness.

Gangaur Pooja Vidhi 

Performing Gangaur pooja with devotion is essential during the festival. These are the steps to follow:

• Idols of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati are prepared with clay. They are then painted and beautifully adorned. Women start a strict fast, eating only once a day.
• Daily Gangaur pooja and offerings are made with fresh flowers, wheat, and sweets to Goddess Gauri.
• Women dress up in traditional dresses and apply henna or mehndi.
• Farewell ceremony, procession and idol immersion happen on the last day with special prayers to seek future blessings.

Gangaur Observance

On the third day of Chaitra Navratri, women do sixteen adornments and perform fast and worship. In the evening, they read and listen to the story of Gangaur fast. This day is also known as Badi Gangaur. On this day, the idol of Mata Gauri made of sand near a river or lake is given water to drink. The goddess idol is placed in water the day after the puja. The place where Gangaur pooja is performed is considered as Gangaur's Pehar or maternal house and the place where immersion takes place is considered as her in-laws' house.

On the day of Gangaur pooja, women make jewellery by mixing turmeric in gram flour or flour, which is offered to Goddess Parvati. These ornaments are called Guna. According to Hindu beliefs, the more gold coins women offer to Goddess Parvati on the day of Badi Gangaur, the more wealth and prosperity the family receives. After the Puja is over, women give the Guna to their mother-in-law, and sisters-in-law. According to some scholars, the word Guna has become symbolic of the word Jewel.

In Rajasthan, the Gangaur festival is celebrated for 18 days, from Chaitra Krishna Pratipada after Holika Dahan to Chaitra Shukla Tritiya. In Rajasthan, women worship Lord Isar and Mother Gawarja on this day. During the puja, they sprinkle holy water and sing a traditional song called Gor Gor Gomti.

According to local beliefs, Mata Gawarja comes to her maternal home on the second day of Holi and after eighteen days Lord Isar comes to take her back. Gawarja is bid farewell on Chaitra Shukla Tritiya.

In Rajasthan and other rural areas, folk songs are sung in the worship of Gangaur as an important part of this festival. Through these songs, women worship Mother Gawarja as their elder sister and Lord Isar as their brother-in-law. In many areas of Rajasthan, Gangaur worship is mandatory at the time of marriage.

The Gangaur festival is celebrated on a very large scale in Nimar, Madhya Pradesh also. At the conclusion of the Gangaur festival, Bhandara is organized in every village on the last day. After this, Mata Gawarja bid farewell along with Lord Isar.

Celebrations in Different Communities

The Gangaur festival is celebrated in different ways in different regions by different communities across India.

• In Rajasthan grand processions are organized in Jodhpur, Jaipur, and Udaipur along with different folk songs, dances, and performances.
• In Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, celebrating Gangaur festival comprises singing traditional folk songs and performing different regional rituals.

• In Rajasthan and rural areas, folk songs are sung as an important part of the Gangaur festival celebration.

Exploring the Folk Songs of Gangaur

Folk music plays a crucial role in Gangaur celebrations. These songs narrate different tales related to Goddess Parvati to show her devotion and love towards her husband, Lord Shiva. However, the folk songs of Rajasthan describe the beauty and obligation of marriage. In the rural areas especially, often several traditional dance performances accompany these folk songs.

Places Of Interest for Tourists During Gangaur

Travellers can enjoy the rich cultural heritage of India by visiting different places during Gangaur 2025. For example, they can visit Jaipur to witness the magnificent procession from the City Palace or immerse in the lakeside celebrations in Udaipur.

Modern Green and Sustainable Pooja Practices

Due to the rising environmental concerns among people, today devotees adopt sustainable or green Gangaur pooja practices. For example, biodegradable materials are used to make the idols. Organic colors and materials are used to decorate these idols instead of synthetic or chemical dyes. Water conservation practices are also followed during the immersion of idols.

In conclusion, while the Gangaur festival is about to commence, prepare yourself to worship Mata Gauri. A popular and important festival of the Hindus in India, it showcases devotion, culture, and religious heritage. The primary objective of performing Gangaur pooja is to seek blessing from Mata Gauri for harmony and happiness in marital life. Celebrating the festival with devotion brings blessings for love, happiness, and prosperity.