Gangaur Fair

Gangaur Festival is a special festival for the Rajasthanis. It is celebrated in honour of Gauri or Parvati, the goddess of abundance. This festival is celebrated by young girls dressed in their best clothes praying for a spouse of their choice. The married ladies pray for the well being of their husbands. 'Ghewar' sweet is specially prepared for this festival with a purpose of offering it to the Gods. This festival is celebrated in spring season with great feeling and zeal all over Rajasthan. The celebrations at Bikaner, Jodhpur, Nathdwara and Jaisalmer are full of pomp and are a must-see.

This festival is celebrated a fortnight after Holi. It is perhaps the only festival in Rajasthan that is celebrated for 18 days. Gangaur festival is celebrated across Rajasthan, but it is more enjoyable at Jaipur and Udaipur. Colorful processions of images of Gauri, the other name of Goddess Paravati and Shiva called Gan, are taken out during the festival.

Another special feature about this festival is that on this occasion, tribal men and women have an opportunity to meet and interact freely and during this time, they select partners and marry by eloping.

Udaipur is the perfect place to visit during Gangaur festival as the Lake City presents a wonderful view on the occasion of the festival. The procession to Pichola Lake is the highlight of the Gangaur festival in Udaipur. The ceremony pulls a number of tourists and locals. The whole event comes to an end with the display of wonderful fireworks on the bank of Pichola Lake.

Jaipur also pulls a number of tourists during Teej festival. The city is beautifully decorated and attains a festive look. The procession carrying the images of Shiva and Parvati passes through the streets of Jaipur and people come out of their homes to watch the enticing procession. Jaipur becomes an attractive destination presenting a wonderful look during the festive season.

Getting There
Air : Indian airlines, Jet airways and Sahara airlines have regular service to Jaipur. All the major cities are connected to Jaipur.
Rail : Shatabdhi and Intercity connects Jaipur to Delhi. Shatabdhi is fully air conditioned train from Delhi to Jaipur, you can also try the Intercity express which starts from Delhi and reaches Jaipur. There are other trains also to Jaipur from other metro cities.
Road : Rajasthan roadways have regular bus services from New Delhi, running deluxe and air conditioned coaches from Bikaner house, Delhi. Jaipur is also well connected with the other cities of Rajasthan. One can also hire private taxis.

Venue : The festival is celebrated throughout the state, but Jaipur is the main venue for it.
Time : March - April
Duration : 18 days