Article Written By EIH Researcher And Writer
Sawai Singh Panwar
The arrival of Spring inaugurates a new beginning in the plant as well as animal world by reinvigorating nature and causing an end to the cold winters. Festivities around spring in the world include the Cherry blossom (Hanami) festival in Japan, the Nawruz festival (Farsi New Year), Songkran (Buddhist New year) in Thailand, Holi in India and so on. While nature often remains a focus in most of these festivals, a region in the cultural heartland of India has combined the idea of nature’s celebration with that of womanhood. In the folk practice of Rajasthan, this idea has been nurtured by women for centuries through the festival of Gangaur.
Gangaur in the literal sense is a combination of two words Gan and Gaur which is synonymous with the famous divine couple of Shiva and Parvati. Despite its occurrence between 16-18 days after Holi, the preparations of this festivity commence on the next day of Holi itself. Goddess Parvati, who is an incarnation of Shiva’s previous companion Sati, passionately performed penances to regain Shiva as her husband. Gangaur captures this core of unmarried girls who observe fasting to receive a good husband like Shiva. On the other hand, its strong influence over the life of married women cannot be ignored as they seek a longer life and the well-being of their partners by abstaining from one meal per day till the end of the festival. Often the suhagans (married women) are allowed to stay at their natal home for the sole belief that Parvati returned to her parental home during Gangaur, to bless her friends with marital bliss. This highlights goddess Parvati as a symbol of saubhagya and an embodiment of marital love apart from her association with fertility and agriculture.
LORD SHIVA AND PARVATI SEATED ON A TERRACE
Jaipur School,1800s, British Museum, UK.
As the preps start days before Gangaur, a short template for activities is as follows:
The Initial Step: On the next day of Holi, the ash of Holika Dahan is collected in which the seeds of sow wheat or barley are sown and watered every day. The end product from this is utilised on the last day of rituals.
Collecting Durba: Arranging green grass (durba), flowers and water are essential for every morning ritual. Since these can not be directly brought by married women, hence, unmarried girls or gardener’s wives collects them from nearby gardens. Subsequently, songs are chanted to wake up the idols from sleep.
The Seventh Day: Earlier the idols were made out of a mixture of Holika ash and mud (cow dung cakes) by women themselves, but these days the trend has been replaced by images carved out of wood and clay in the market. As a result, idols are now available in various sizes and adorned with costumes, jewellery, turbans and crowns.
Last Three Days: Being the most active days of all, women sing and dance and dress themselves as well as their idols in the best aesthetic manner possible.
You might be wondering how can a crucial function like this exist without the application of Mehandi/Henna. For the same, there are distinctive shapes and patterns drawn on the hands and feet which carry a mystery. These figures (and their hidden meanings) on the palms consist of flowers (happiness and delight), a swastika (yearning for auspiciousness), chundri (denoting saubhagya), etc. The back of the palm is inscribed with a simple flower or some geometrical designs. The edges of the soles of the feet are decorated with delicate tendrils and the ankles with ornaments. Amidst this mood, women receive gifts in the form of jewellery, clothes, etc, as well as prepare sweets like Ghewar, Laapsi and so on.
On the last day, women carry the idols on their heads to a nearby waterbody to perform the final Pooja before immersing the idols in water. Meanwhile, they sing “Vidaai” songs for Gauri’s departure with heavy hearts and moist eyes. With this, the festival and fast of Gangaur come to an end.
Now, it will be intriguing to look at the celebrations across four locations in Rajasthan and whether these regions have their flavour of this folk practice or not.
To begin with, in the Pink City Jaipur, earlier known as Amber, the parade is led by the image of Gauri without the image of Isar. Don’t you feel it is startling yet astonishing? A tradition that explains Shiva’s absence from the procession goes on stating that the image of Isar was taken away by the ruler of Kishangarh from Jaipur which was never returned. Despite this, the procession of Gauri commences from the Zanani-Deorhi (royal female quarters) in the City Palace and travels via Tripolia Bazar, Chhoti Chaupar, Gangauri Bazar, and Chaughan stadium.
This procession becomes exciting for the public gaze for two reasons. Firstly, it is one of the two occasions when the Tripolia gate is opened for the locals. Secondly, it consists of high grandeur factors like decorated elephants, artistic palanquins, majestic fairs, special cuisine, female folk dressed like princesses, folk music as well as dance by women. This must be enough to ignite curiosity amongst the local population. The event then reaches its concluding moments near Talkatora where the idols are submerged in water.
THE PROCESSION HEADED BY GAURI
The peculiarity of celebrating Gangaur in Jodhpur, also known as the capital of Marwar, is through the Ghudla fair or Ghudliya which highlights a compelling case in its folk-history. According to old records at Maharaja Man Singh Pustak Prakash, it was during the late 15th century that the-then ruler of Marwar, Rao Santhal, sacrificed his own life by killing the two rivals who were kidnappers of his subjects engaged in Gangaur prayers. Since one of them was Ghudla Khan, it was from him that this ceremony received its name. The folks have passed on this memory to their next generation by singing Ghudla songs as well as carrying earthen pots with a hole and a lamp light inside it. To the folks, the former signify the wounds of Ghudla Khan and the latter symbolise the triumph of the Marwar ruler.
GHUDLA RITUAL
To look at the historic celebration of Gangaur in Jodhpur, one can observe the 19th-century painting by the artist Sati Das under the reign of Man Singh. Visuals involve the public ritual immersion of royal idols of Parvati and Shiva in the waters of Gulab Sagar lake. While the ruler is seated at the gateway tower, dancing, singing and rituals take place downwards. The festivities would have awed the masses with intrigue, who witnessed it from the various ghats on the banks of Gulab Sagar.
At present, the royal family does not include Isar in their procession to honour the sacrifice of Rao Satal. Hence, the Pooja at Mehrangarh Fort is followed by a Gangaur procession led by the Maharaja himself continuing towards the direction of the old city wherein the other ladies join the group.
A similar idea surrounding the story of Shiva and Parvati has given birth to a festival of deception known as Dhinga Gavar (Baint-maar festival), in April, wherein the women comfortably get into the attire of men and hit men roaming around in the streets with sticks. It can make one uncomfortable but getting beaten up with a stick, according to the locals belief, can bring good luck to that man in the form of getting married soon. Do you think this paves the way to increase more couples in the town like Shiva and Parvati or is a trick to trouble men?
DHINGA GAVAR
IMAGE COURTESY: @JODHPUR_THE_BLUE_CITY/INSTAGRAM
In the case of Udaipur, historically known as Mewar, the procession of both the idols travel multiple locations within the city, by women on their head, which comes to an end once they reach the Gangaur Ghat, famously known as Lake Pichola. Surprisingly, the travel account of British officer James Todd (1782-1835) titled Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan discusses this festive mood of the city.
WOMEN CARRYING IDOLS ON THEIR HEAD
© UDAIPURBLOG.COM
The presence of the royal family elevates the moment at the Gangaur Ghat along with giving the festival a unique trait through the Royal Procession. As a part of it, the royal family brings to the table a gigantic blue-coloured boat on the ghat as a performance of their ancestral custom. Did you know the last Maharana to have taken a seat in the boat’s procession was Bhupal Singh (r. 1930-55) before his territory got merged into the state of Rajasthan?
GATHERING OF PEOPLE AT GANGAUR GHAT
© UDAIPURBLOG.COM
This giant boat is escorted by several other mini boats loaded with royally dressed men and women playing Dhol. Moreover, the shimmering water of the lake surrounding the divine Isarji and Gauri ji becomes a rare sight to witness. You will be enthralled to know that the same boat was utilised in the song Chamakti Shaam Hai from the movie Yaadein starring Hrithik Roshan.
GIANT BLUE BOAT OF MEWAR ROYAL FAMILY
© ADITYA SANDHYA BLOG
The “Mewar Festival” thus becomes an additional extravaganza that is organised to celebrate the arrival of spring, coinciding with the concluding three days of the Gangaur festival. It is loaded with cultural performances and cuisines, and at night fireworks and various competitions are held at the Ghat, which serves as a mode of interaction and engagement for the tourists.
The region of Nathdwara may come as a surprise to the eyes of many because the procession of Gangaur brings a rainbow effect to the environment. Doesn’t sound believable? Here is the reason: the processions here last for seven days and each day is dedicated to a particular colour for the dress of the goddess. This, by default, becomes the colour of the day for the women as well. The black colour becomes an indicator of the final departure of Gauri, as on the last day of Gangaur, both the women, as well as idols of Parvati, are dressed in black with the embellishment of golden lace on it.
The reach of Gangaur is not just limited to these areas but is also observed in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and so on. The idea of celebrating spring kicks off with a roller coaster ride of folk events, songs expressing varied emotions, and sweets that does not remain limited to the locals but widens its horizons even with the inquisitive outsiders. With the submersion of idols in the water bodies, women hope that the return of Gauri will bring an abundance of blessings and good luck for their husbands and unmarried girls. This spring festivity allows women to socialise and relax before the realities of life can come back to the surface. On the other hand, one may never realise whether the wish of unmarried ones is fulfilled with a Shiv Shankar in her life or is left unheard. Yet we can only assume why spring brings hope in the life of individuals. In contemporary times, this festival has gained so much popularity that many companies offer Gangaur sales. So, are you planning to witness Gangaur in Udaipur, Jaipur or Nathdwara or do you wish to test your luck by first being beaten with a stick in Marwar, in order to celebrate the festival with your better half next year?
Bibliography
Chronicling Mewar: History Through the Arts. Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation, 2021.
De, Tanushree. Dhinga Gavar: Know All About Jodhpur’s Funny Festival Of Deception,Herzindagi.com, 28th April 2019.
Gangaur Festival, Rajasthan Traditional.
Gangaur Festival Rajasthan-Story and Significance, Vibe Indians, 15th June 2020.
https://vibeindian.in/story-and-significance-of-gangaur-festival-in-rajasthan/
Gupta, C. S. Fairs & Festivals, Part VII-B, Vol-XIV, Rajasthan – Census 1961. Published in 1966.
Sandhya, Aditya. Udaipur Gangaur Festival– A must witness celebration, Udaipur Beats, 8th April 2019.
https://udaipurbeats.com/udaipur-gangaur-festival-a-must-witness-celebration/
Thilak, Nandini M. Doctoral Thesis: Inscribing the City: Women, Architecture, and Agency in an Indian Kingdom, Jodhpur 1750-1850. 2021 submitted.
Mehrangarh Fort facebook post.
Additional sources for pictures:
Jaipur photos
https://www.dsource.in/resource/gangaur-festival/credits
Ghudla photo
https://www.festivalsofindia.in/gangaur/gangaur-celebrations-across-india/
