Gangaur Puja 2023: Date, Time, Pooja Vidhi, and Significance
by Sakthi
Updated Mar 24, 2023
Gangaur Puja
Gangaur Puja is a traditional festival celebrated mainly in the Indian state of Rajasthan and some parts of Gujarat, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh. It is primarily a women's festival, dedicated to Goddess Gauri, the Hindu goddess of fertility, marriage, and abundance. The festival is celebrated in the month of Chaitra (March–April) and lasts for 18 days. Women dress up in colourful traditional attire and wear beautiful jewellery. They worship the idols of Gauri and Isar (Lord Shiva) and offer prayers and food offerings.
The festival symbolises the union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati and is also associated with the arrival of spring and the start of a new agricultural season. It is a time of joy and festivity, with women singing and dancing and enjoying various cultural programmes and competitions. Overall, Gangaur Puja is an important festival that celebrates the bond between husband and wife and marks the onset of the spring season. Let us see more about the Gangaur pooja in the upcoming article.
Gangaur Puja 2023: Date and Time
Apart from these, various cultural programmes, competitions, and fairs are also organised during the festival. People wear traditional clothes, sing folk songs, and participate in traditional dances, making the festival a vibrant and joyous occasion. However, many people are interested in knowing the date and time of the Gangaur Pooja. Let us see the exact date and time for the pooja.
The celebration of Gangaur Puja may vary slightly depending on the region and local customs, but here is a general overview of how the festival is celebrated:
Cleaning and Decoration: On the first day of the festival, women clean their homes and decorate them with rangoli, torans, and flowers. They also decorate the idol of Goddess Gauri with beautiful clothes, jewellery, and flowers.
Fasting: Women observe a day-long fast on this day and prepare traditional food items, such as ghewar, and offer them to the Goddess.
Puja: In the evening, women perform the puja, which includes lighting lamps or diyas, offering flowers, fruits, and sweets to the idol, and chanting hymns and prayers. Married women also offer sindoor, a red powder used in Hindu rituals, to the goddess and pray for the long lives of their husbands.
Feast: After the immersion, women break their fast and enjoy traditional sweets and food items with their family and friends.
Gangaur Puja Vidhi
Gangaur Puja is a festival that is celebrated for a duration of 16 days in the Hindu month of Chaitra (usually falling in March or April). The festival begins on the day after Holi and culminates on the third day of the Shukla Paksha (waxing phase of the moon) in the Chaitra month, which is known as Gangaur Tritiya.
Day 1: The first day of the festival is known as Sthapana, which is when the idol of Goddess Gauri is installed in homes or pandals (temporary structures).
Day 2-4: The next few days are marked by various rituals and customs, such as fasting, offering prayers and bhajans, decorating the idol of Goddess Gauri, and taking out processions.
Day 5-7: These days are dedicated to the worship of Goddess Gauri's sisters, namely, Subhadra and Shubhaga. Women prepare food and offer it to the sisters of Gauri, seeking their blessings.
Day 8–10: These days are dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Devotees offer prayers to the divine couple and seek their blessings for a happy and prosperous married life.
Day 11-13: These days are marked by the preparation of traditional sweets and delicacies, such as ghewar and papad, which are offered to the Goddess Gauri.
Day 14-15: The final two days of the festival are marked by the preparation of the procession, which takes place on the last day of the festival. Women decorate the idol of Gauri with flowers and ornaments and take it out in a procession accompanied by music and dance.
Day 16: This is the last day of the festival and is known as Gangaur Tritiya. On this day, women offer prayers to the goddess and immerse the idol in a nearby body of water, symbolising the deity's departure from the mortal world.
Overall, the 16-day worship of Gangaur Puja is marked by various rituals, customs, and traditions, which vary across different regions and communities. The festival celebrates the divine union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, the bond between husband and wife, and the onset of the spring season.
Gangaur Puja Significance
Gangaur Puja is a significant festival in Hinduism, particularly in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The festival celebrates the divine union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati and the arrival of spring, which marks the beginning of the new agricultural season. Here are some of the significant aspects of Gangaur Puja:
Celebration of Marriage: The festival is primarily celebrated by married women who pray for the well-being and longevity of their husbands. It is believed that Goddess Gauri (an incarnation of Parvati) blesses married women with a happy and prosperous married life.
Fertility and Harvest: Gangaur Puja also celebrates fertility and the beginning of the new agricultural season. The festival marks the arrival of spring, which is a significant time for farmers and is associated with the hope of a good harvest.
Cultural Significance: Gangaur Puja is an important festival in Rajasthan and is celebrated with great enthusiasm and zeal. The festival is marked by vibrant processions, traditional dances, and songs that showcase the rich cultural heritage of the state.
Spiritual Significance: The festival of Gangaur Puja is also significant from a spiritual perspective. It is believed that the worship of Goddess Gauri purifies the mind and soul and helps devotees attain spiritual liberation.
Overall, Gangaur Puja is a significant festival that celebrates the bond between husband and wife, the arrival of spring, and the beginning of the new agricultural season. The festival also has cultural and spiritual significance and is celebrated with great joy and enthusiasm in Rajasthan and other parts of India.
Gangaur Puja 2023: FAQs
Gangaur Puja is a festival celebrated in many parts of India, particularly in Rajasthan, to honor the divine union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
Gangaur Puja is celebrated in the Hindu month of Chaitra, usually in March or April, for a duration of 16 days.
Women observe a day-long fast during Gangaur Puja, which is believed to be a way to seek the blessings of the Goddess for the long life and well-being of their husbands.
In Rajasthan, Gangaur Puja is celebrated with great enthusiasm and fervor, with women and girls dressing up in traditional attire and taking part in various rituals and customs. The festival is marked by the worship of the idol of Goddess Gauri and the immersion of the idol in a nearby water body on the final day.
Gangaur Puja celebrates the divine union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, and the bond between husband and wife. It also marks the onset of the spring season and is a celebration of nature and fertility.