Gangaur Festival, Jaipur

Gangaur Festivals Tour

The women folk take the festival seriously. It is mandatory for a newly-wedded girl to observe the full course of 18 days while unmarried girls fast for the whole period surviving only on one meal a day. Married ones pray to Gauri, the consort of Lord Shiva, for marital bliss and the health of their husbands. The single ones pray in earnest for a match of their choice. The festival is in honour of Gauri, the personification of excellence and marital love.

The Festival kick-starts with a customary gathering of ashes from the Holi Fire in which seeds of barley are buried. The seeds are devotedly watered daily awaiting their germination. Women dress in their best clothes and apply henna on their hand and feet. They assemble to observe a ceremony singing devotional songs to Lord Shiva and Gauri and to make their images on clay.

The seventh evening is quite an interest. Unmarried girls assemble and take out a street procession balancing Ghudlia, an earthen pot with holes around and a lamp inside, on their heads. This ceremony continues for a fortnight. The women are given sweets, ghee and cash by the elders.

The final day is a spectacle. There is another women-only procession and the streets are filled with women carrying lively images of Gauri singing songs about her departure to her husband’s home. Traditionally dressed camels, bullock carts, horses and ornamented elephants also take part in the march. An idol of Gauri is carried in beautifully decorated gold and silver palanquin. It comes to a close with the breaking of pots and throwing the trash into a tank or pond followed by a huge feast from the collections they received.
In Udaipur there's a boat procession on Lake Pichola ending with a loud colorful fireworks on the banks. In Jodhpur, thousands of maidens rise early in the dawn, singing and carrying water and grass in pots. The celebrations are marked with equal zest at Bikaner, Jaipur, Nathdwara, and Banswara.

Day 01 / Arrival Delhi Arrive Delhi, meet assist at the airport & transfer to hotel. Night stay in Delhi.

Day 02 / Delhi After breakfast proceed for sightseeing tour of New Delhi where ornate buildings recall the days when India was the Jewel in the crown of the British empire. Visit the 11th century Qutab Minar, India Gate and the grand government buildings, the President’s House, Mahatama Gandhi Memorial, Also visit Laxmi Narayan temple popularly known as Birla Temple. Night stay in Delhi.

Day 03 / Delhi - Agra ( By train Dep 0615 Hrs Arr 0815 Hrs ) Early morning transfer to railway station to board the superfast air-conditioned train to Agra. Breakfast in the train. Arrive Agra in approx. 02 hours & transfer to hotel. Later visit the Agra fort - the rusty and majestic red-sandstone fort of Agra stands on the banks of the river Yamuna and the construction was started by Emperor Akbar in 1566. At the Diwan-I-Am (hall of public audience), a colonnaded hall of red-sandstone with a throne alcoveof inlaid marble at the back, the Emperor heard public petitions. At the Diwan-I-Khas (hall of private audience) where marble pavilions with floral inlays lend an ethereal ambience, the Emperor sat on his gem-studded Peacock Throne and met foreign ambassadors and rulers of friendly kingdoms.Evening at sunset visit the magnificent Taj Mahal - one of the seven wonders of the world surely the most extravagant _expression of love ever created. 20,000 men laboured for over 17 years to build this memorial to Shah Jahan's beloved wife . Night stay in Agra.

Day 04 / Agra - Jaipur ( By road Approx 5 Hrs) via Fatehpur Sikri After breakfast drive to Jaipur-the fabled “pink city” of the desert named after Jai Singh, the former Maharaja of Jaipur. This is the only city in the world symbolizing the nine divisions of the universe through the nine rectangular sectors subdividing it. The palaces and forts of the yesteryears, which were witnesses to the royal processions and splendours are now living monuments enroute visiting Fatehpur Sikri-a perfectly preserved red sandstone “ghost town" which was the estranged capital of mughal emperor Akbar, built in 1569 and deserted when its water supply failed. Arrive Jaipur in late evening & transfer to hotel. Night stay in Jaipur.

Day 05 / Jaipur After breakfast Proceed for city tour of Jaipur.
AMBER FORT PALACE - Amber is the classic romantic Rajasthani fort palace. Its construction was started by Man Singh I in 1592, and completed by his descendent Jai Singh I. Its forbidding exterior belies an inner paradise where a beautiful fusion of Mughal and Hindu styles finds it's ultimate expression. Continue sight-seeing.
JAIGARH FORT - The Western skyline is dominated by the extensive parkotas (Walls), watch-towers and gateways of Jaigarh. It is one of the few military structures of medieval India preserved almost intact containing palaces, gardens, open and covered reservoirs, a grannary, an armoury, a well planned cannon foundry, several temples, a tall tower and a giant mounted cannon the Jai Ban the largest in the Country.
LAXMI NARAYAN TEMPLE - Situated in the south of Jaipur, Laxmi Narayan Temple is one of the many such temples built by wealthy Birla family in India, thus it is also known as Birla Mandir. The temple is a great reminder of the secular traditions India has shown over the centuries. The temple has been constructed in white marble and has three domes, each portraying the different approaches to religion. The temple is situated at the foot of Moti Doongri Fort, converted as a small palace by Ram Singh II for his wife Gayatri Devi. Night stay in Jaipur.

Day 06 / Jaipur After breakfast enjoy Gangaur Festival.
Gangaur is one of the most important local festivals in Rajasthan. In some form or the other it is celebrated all over Rajasthan. “gan” is a synonym for Lord Shiva and “gauri” or “gaur” stands for Goddess Parvati, the heavenly consort of Lord Shiva. Gangaur celebrates the union of the two and is a symbol of conjugal and marital happiness.
Gangaur is celebrated in the month of chaitra (March-April), the first month of the Hindu calendar. This month marks the end of winter and the onset of spring.
This festival is celebrated especially by women, who worship clay idols of “Gan” & “Gauri” in their houses. These idols are worshiped by unmarried girls who seek the blessings of Gan and Gauri for a good husband, while the married women pray for the good health and long life of their husbands.
This worship which starts form the first day of the chaitra month culminates on the 18th day into Gangaur festival with a great religious fervour. On the eve of Gangaur festival, women decorate their palms and fingers with henna. The idols of Gan and Gauri are immersed in a pond or in a near by lake on the last day of the festival.

A traditional procession of Gangaur commences form the Zanani- Deodhi of the City Palace, passing through Tripolia Bazaar, Chhoti Chaupar, Gangauri Bazaar, Chaugan stadium and finally converges near the Talkatora. The procession is headed by a colorful pageantry of elephants, old palanquins, chariots, bullock carts and performance folk artistes. Night stay in Jaipur.

Day 07 / Jaipur- Delhi ( By train dep 1745 arr 2230 ) After breakfast proceed for City tour of Jaipur .
CITY PALACE - A delightful blend of Mughal and traditional Rajasthani architecture, the City Palace sprawls over one-seventh of the area in the walled city. It houses the Chandra Mahal, Shri Govind Dev Temple and the City Palace Museum.
JANTAR MANTAR - This is the largest and the best preserved of the five observatories built by Jai Singh II in different parts of the country. This observatory consisting of outsized astronomical instruments is still in use.
HAWA MAHAL - The ornamental facade of this "Palace of Winds" is a prominent landmark in Jaipur. Their five-storey structures of sandstone plastered pink encrusted with fine trelliswork and elaborate balconies. The palace has 953 niches and windows. Built in 1799 by Pratap Singh, the Mahal was a royal grandstand for the palace women. Evening transfer to railway station to board the superfast airconditioned train to Delhi. Dinner in the train. Arrive Delhi and transfer to hotel. Night stay in Delhi.

Day 08 / Delhi – Departure Transfer to airport to board the flight for onward destination.

Includes:» 7 Nights accommodation as per the itinerary.
» Daily Breakfast
» All transfers & Sightseeing in Delhi, Agra and Jaipur as per the Itinerary.
» Train tickets of Delhi – Agra and Jaipur -Delhi in air conditioned Chair Car.
» Travel Agra- Jaipur by Exclusive Air Conditioned Car
» Local English speaking Professional Guides.
» All taxes, driver allowances, parking etc.

Does not include:» Any Airfares,
» Entrance fee to the Monuments.
» Beverages, Tips, Laundry etc.
» Any item not shown in Cost includes.

Hotels Selected - Luxury 5* Deluxe Delhi : The Oberoi / Imperial
Agra : Amar Vilas
Jaipur : RajVilas

Hotels Selected - Royal 5*Delhi : The Metropolitan / The Lalit / The Grand
Agra : Jay Pee Palace / Taj View / Trident
Jaipur : Hotel Trident / Le Meridien

Hotels Selected - Classic 4*Delhi : The Connaught / Hotel City Park / De Marks
Agra : Clarks Shiraz / Howard Park
Jaipur : Golden Tulip / Hari Mahal Palace/ Wall Street / Hotel Clarks Amer

Hotels Selected - EconomyDelhi : Hotel Blue Bell / Hotel De Gold/ Hotel Sunstar
Agra : Hotel Usha Kiran/ Royale Residency / Taj Plaza
Jaipur : Nana Ki Haveli/ Dera Rawatsar/ Jas Vilas