Gangaur festival Jodhpur

Gangaur festival is celebrate to honour Goddess Parvathi . The main intention behind this festival is to worship Parvathi for better and long life while unmarried girls pray for getting a appropriate life partners. The festival is conducted in the month of 'Chaitra' based on the Hindu calendar. The festival rituals commence the day after famous festival called Holi.
The first important ritual of the festival is the collecting of ashes from the Holi fire and burying seeds of wheat and barley in it. These are watered every day until they germinate. The ritual is performed with songs of Isar and Gauri (Shiva and Parvathi) and the varying of pots of water on the head. Women and girls usually go through fast during this festive time and eat only once in a day.
On the seventh day evening all girls bear an earthen pots known us 'ghudilas', which are with many holes inside which a lamp is lit, on heads. Women start to sing songs of Gangaur and are given gifts in the form of money, ghee, sweets, jaggery, etc. by the elders of the family as a token of love. Colourful processions with the town band playing horses and elaborate palanquins make it a fascinating spectacle. This worship which starts form the first day of the chaitra month culminates on the 18th day into Gangaur festival of Rajasthan with a great religious fervor.