 |
 |
|
|
|
|
Colourful finish to Gangaur festival Jaipur, Apr 7: The two-day Gangaur festival, in which married women pray for long life of their husbands and prosperity, recently concluded in Rajasthan with traditional enthusiasm. The festivities began with a procession comprising folk dancers dancing to traditional Rajasthani folk tunes. An elaborate palanquin of Goddess Parvati, consort of Shiva, formed an integral part of the procession which passed through the main thoroughfares of Jaipur. The procession was led by colourful elephants, camels, horses, musicians, palanquins, chariots and bullock carts. Women dressed in their colourful traditional attire with their palms decorated with henna presented colourful dances. Hundreds of foreign and local tourists who witnessed the procession said they would like to come again to be a part of the procession. "It's very very beautiful. It's really interesting. Maybe I would like to come again when I have time," said Ursula, a foreign tourist from Austria. "The festival is so beautiful ... so many colours, so many elephants ... it's really beautiful," said Robert, another foreign tourist from Austria. The Gangaur procession culminated with the immersion of images of the deity in the city lake. The celebrations of the festival also herald the onset of the spring season in the desert state. The heritage behind the festival comes from the mythical legend of "Gan" or Lord Shiva and "Gaur" or Gauri, his consort Parvati. Legend has it that Parvati, in one of her forms as Gauri, underwent intense meditation and penance in order to win Shiva as her consort. Gangaur symbolises marital happiness achieved by Gauri. While married women evoke the blessings of Gauri and pray for the long life of their husbands, unmarried girls pray for a good husband. -ANI |
|