Gangaur Festival in Bikaner

Gangaur Festival in Bikaner is celebrated in the month of April every year. As the term Gan indicates Lord Shiva and Gauri is the divine consort of the Lord, hence the festival of Gangaur is followed to celebrate the divine bliss of Goddess Parvati - the other name of Gauri. The women of Bikaner have a special role to play in the Gangaur festival.

Celebrated for 18 whole days, the Gangaur festival is followed by the people of Bikaner by taking out a colorful procession.

The girls of Bikaner get up in the wee hours, take a bath, wear new dresses and come out in the streets to participate in the procession of Gangaur festival.

They also adorn their palms with various designs of swastika, moon, sun, flowers, chaupar and mehendi. Dance performances are also followed in this procession.

It is believed that those girls who pray to Goddess Parvati for a suitable groom during the Gangaur Festival, their wishes are fulfilled in the near future. Hence womenfolk from adjoining places of Bikaner come in large numbers to the city during the 18 days of the festival.

Since Gangaur is a major festival of Bikaner, tourists who come to visit different corners of Rajasthan , often flock to the city at this time of the year.

Apart from the devotees of Goddess Parvati, thousands of spectators are also found enjoying the spirit of the Gangaur festival in Bikaner.

This shows that the occasion of Gangaur truly lives up to its expectation of upholding the tradition of Bikaner fairs and festivals.





Last Updated on 19 December 2011