Gangaur,
celebrated with great enthusiasm all over Rajasthan. The women ivoke
Goddess Parvati to take her blessings for everlasting marital bliss.
As we were driving through the barren tract to Dundlod, a little
known village tucked away in the Shekhavati area of Rajasthan, we saw a
brightly attired Rajasthani woman plucking flowers from the acacia tree. We
stopped to photograph her and talk to her. She told us that the flowers were an
offering to Gaur or goddess Parvati, who is worshipped during the festival of
Gangaur which is an annual highlight of the sleepy little village of Dundlod.
We reached Dundlod in the afternoon. This village, located in the
Jhunjhunu district of the state of Rajasthan, was founded by Thakur Kesari
Singh, who also built the castle in the year 1750 A.D. There are havelis
or mansions of the rich people around the fort. During the
Gangaur festival this castle and as well as the havelis in the Shekhavati area,
are well decorated with intricate frescoes and murals which attract tourists
who come here to enjoy this festival.
Villagers were busy with the preparations for the last day
celebrations of the Gangaur festival. Gangaur, which is widely celebrated
all over Rajasthan by the rich and poor people. It is a time when the women of
Rajasthan invoke Gaur or goddess Parvati the consort of lssar or Shiva, to
ensure everlasting marital bliss.
It is a spring festival, lasting a period of 18 days. Gangaur
festival commences on the day after the Holi Festival. According to the
mythology goddess Parvati returned to her parental home to bless her friends
with marital bliss on this day. She was given a grand farewell by her loved
Ones on the last day of her stay.
The farewell given to Parvati on her last day was re-enacted in
the form of a magnificent procession on the final day of the festival. This
tradition is still a part of the festivities of the Gangaur festival in the
Dundlod village.
We decided to visit the Dundlod Castle where the
main function was going to take place. When we reached the castle the
courtyard was the centre of activity where camels, horses and a camel cart were
being decorated enthusiastically. The royal family members were personally
super vising all the arrangements for the evening spectacle. Inside the castle,
the maids were adorning the family images of Gaur and Issar with precious
family ornaments and new costumes. After that guards brought them to the
courtyard of the ‘Rawala’ also known as the ladies’ chamber.
Then the ladies and young girls, went down to participate in the
celebrations. They were elegantly dressed in red which is considered an auspicious
colour for the festival. A large number of village women carrying offerings for
the goddess also joined them in the their celebrations.
Finally the ceremony began. First the Thakurani or the senior-most
lady of the Dundlod family along with her relatives worshipped the
images, followed by the village women. The women offer a kanchli or the
traditional bodice to the goddess.
After the ceremony was over, the images were moved to the
decorated camel cart with the image of Issar facing the exit and that of Gaur
looking towards the castle- symbolic of a girl's longing
for her parental home.
With the shaking sounds of drums and showering of coins, the
procession slowly started moving out of the castle courtyard. Royal ladies were
moving to the high castle terrace to view the grandeur of the procession and
the village folk filled the terraces of the buildings on either side of the
road to catch a glimpse of the procession. There was festivity and excitement
in the air and as the procession moved out of sight, I realized the
significance of this joyous festival for the village people of Dundlod.
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