Are you aware of one of the most celebrated festivals of Rajasthan – GANGAUR? The festival attracts several tourists every year to witness the grandeur and royalty of Rajasthan along with the famous traditional folk music and rich desi culture.
What Makes Travelling During Gangaur Special:
Gangaur is not only a religious celebration; it is also the best time to explore the real Rajasthan. Local streets come alive with colors, decorated markets, cheerful families, folk performances and traditional stalls. Many visitors also enjoy joining small neighborhood gatherings, learning about Rajasthani traditions directly from local families.
Gangaur Festival 2026: Dates & Duration
Gangaur celebration takes place in the month of March or April, starting from a day after Holi and continuing for eighteen days.
For this year 2026, Gangaur will be celebrated on 21st March (Saturday) and the daily worship (vrat) will start on 4th March 2026 and continue till 21st March 2026.
For more information about Panchang and Choghadiya Muhurat for the Gangaur Festival: Here
In addition, Holi is another famous festival that is celebrated with great excitement in Rajasthan.
Why is Gangaur Festival Celebrated & Gangaur Puja Done?
Gangaur Festival is all about worshiping Goddess Gauri and her followers. On the auspicious occasion of Gangaur women either married or unmarried keep fasts to adore the pious bond of love and marriage.
- Married women pray for the good health, prosperity, and long life of their husbands.
- Unmarried girls worship Goddess Gauri and pray to get an ideal life partner.
Gangaur is a festival full of grace, colours, traditions, and beauty. One of the special things about this festival is that even the royal families of Rajasthan take part in the celebrations along with the local people. These grand celebrations reflect the true cultural spirit of Rajasthan.
People across the state celebrate Gangaur with great enthusiasm and joy. Many tourists from India and abroad visit Rajasthan every year to witness the beautiful rituals, traditional songs, and vibrant cultural events associated with Gangaur.
Art & Craft Experiences for Tourists:
During Gangaur, many local artisans in Udaipur, Jaipur and Jodhpur conduct short workshops.
You can:
- Try Mehendi (Henna) designs
- Learn Lac bangle making
- Watch Puppet carving & painting
- Try Tie-and-Dye / Bandhani
This is a good way to support local families and take home a handmade item you created.
Mythology & Importance of Gangaur:
Gangaur represents Lord Shiva (also known as Gana or Isar) and Goddess Parvati (Gauri) together.
Here, Gana/Isar refers to Lord Shiva and Gauri is another name for Goddess Parvati. This is how the name “Gangaur” came into use.
The festival highlights the strong devotion and dedication shown by Goddess Gauri to win the love of Lord Shiva. Impressed by her pure affection, Shiva married her.
After their marriage, Gauri visited her parental home for 18 days. During this period, she blessed her friends and other women with happiness, marital bliss, and prosperity.
On the final day, a grand farewell celebration was held, and Lord Shiva came to take her home. This emotional farewell marks the essence of today’s Gangaur celebration.
In Rajasthan, this festival continues to symbolize love, loyalty, and the strength of marital bonds, which is why married women pray for the long life of their husbands, while unmarried girls seek blessings for finding a good life partner.
Traditional Celebrations & Rituals of Gangaur:
The first and most important ritual of Gangaur is collecting ashes from the holy fire and placing them in earthen pots called Kundas. In these pots, women sow wheat and barley seeds, which symbolize prosperity and new beginnings. After about seven days, women make colorful clay idols of Gauri and Isar (Shiva and Parvati) while singing traditional Rajasthani folk songs. In many households, these idols are preserved for years and are freshly decorated and painted on auspicious occasions.
A rally is taken out by the unmarried girls with a diya placed inside an earthen pot called Ghudlia on the evening of the seventh day. While roaming around girls are blessed with small gifts like sweets, Jaggery, little currency, ghee or oil, clothes, and Jewellery. This continues until the main festival day.
Fasting is another important part of the festival. Newly married women observe a strict fast for all 18 days, while other women eat only once a day. The last three days bring the festival to its peak. Women dress in beautiful traditional attire, wear jewellery, and adorn their hands with Mehendi (henna). They also decorate their idols of Gauri and Isar for the special Gangaur Puja.
A day before the main festival, the parents of married women send Sinjara, which includes sweets, jewellery, clothes, mehendi, and other decorative items for their daughters.
On the final day, a grand procession is held in different cities. Several women carry the idols of Gauri and Isar on their heads and walk together towards lakes, rivers, or gardens. There, the idols are immersed in water as a way of giving farewell to Gauri and Isar. These processions are colourful and filled with Rajasthani folk music, dance, and traditional bands.
Gangaur is celebrated across Rajasthan, but the most memorable celebrations can be experienced in Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, and Bikaner, where large crowds, cultural performances, and beautifully dressed women make the festival even more special.
5 Best Places in Rajasthan Where Gangaur is Celebrated:
Hey there! We have picked out some of the best cities where the Gangaur Festival is celebrated with loads of joy. Would you like to know which cities they are?
Here are some popular places to watch Gangaur processions comfortably:
| Udaipur | Jaipur | Jodhpur |
| Gangaur Ghat | Tripolia Bazaar | Old city lanes |
| City Palace route | Chaugan Stadium | Poonam Chowk |
| Ambrai Ghat (good for boat view) | Near City Palace Gates | – |
1. Udaipur – City of Lakes
If you are touring Udaipur city during the festivities of Gangaur then consider yourself lucky because you are going to witness many different things than usual. Udaipur capital of the Mewar is adorable at this time.
How is Gangaur Celebrated in Udaipur?
The city of the lake has a ghat named after the festival Gangaur. Gangaur Ghat is the shore of Lake Pichola which connects it to a prominent part of the city.
A Reminiscent procession of Gangaur starts from the city palace with members of the royal family and several others with colorful idols, marching towards the lake’s other side in boats to meet the community of another side, continuing the age-old legacy. This magnificent festival is joined by many foreign and local tourists also.
To make the festival more exciting, the Rajasthan Tourism Department also organizes the Mewar Festival around the same time. This includes:
- Boat and traditional art showcases
- Cultural dance and folk performances
- Competitions like best attire and best decorated idols
Read Also: 30 Perfect Places to Visit in and Near Udaipur
2. Jaipur – The Pink City
In Jaipur city, this colorful procession begins from Zanani Deodhi in the city palace and March through Tripolia market, Chaugan Stadium to the final station Talkatora.
How Gangaur Celebrated in Jaipur?
In the procession, you will find idols kept in palanquins. You can also spot elephants, chariots, and bullock carts enhancing the grandness of the rally.
A big fair is organized for 18 days where you can find:
- Traditional Rajasthani handicrafts
- Souvenirs and artwork
- Delicious local cuisine
- Folk music, dance
- Cultural events & traditional games
Jaipur is one of the most visited cities during Gangaur as it offers a perfect blend of tradition and festivity.
Read Also: 20 Best Tourist Places Near Jaipur Within 100 Kms
3. Bikaner – A Traditional Hub for Gangaur
In Bikaner also a large number of women participate in grand processions dancing and singing Rajasthani folk songs related to the festival. You can get the best glance at the parade from Junagarh Fort.
Read Also: Traditional Bikaner Camel Festival
4. Jodhpur – The Blue City
Gangaur is named Dhinga Gavar in Jodhpur. Dhinga Gavar is another manifestation of Goddess Parvati.
How is the Gangaur Festival Celebrated in Jodhpur?
The festival begins on the full-moon day (Purnima) of the month of Fagun and ends on Teej (third day after Amavasya).
Key highlights:
- Grand Isar idol processions move through major markets
- Dhinga Gavar idols are decorated with traditional costumes and gold jewellery
- Idols are placed at 11 important spots in the old city
Women belonging to Pushkarna Brahmin families dress in interesting costumes such as:
- Hindu Deities
- Police
- Saints
- Folk Characters
They patrol the streets holding a stick. It is believed that if any unmarried boy gets touched by this stick, he will get married soon. This is why the festival is also called Baintmaar Teej in Jodhpur.
Read Also: A Rajasthan Trip to Experience Royal Beauty of Jaipur, Jaisalmer & Camp; Jodhpur City
5. Jaisalmer – The Golden City
In Jaisalmer, the festival looks more vibrant as the celebration is done with more importance to the cultural activities such as folk performances, traditional music fiestas, fancy dress events, and much more.
How is Gangaur Celebrated in Jaisalmer?
Processions are more royal in Jaisalmer as it takes place inside the fort accompanied by colorfully decorated elephants, camels, traditional folk dancers, and singers. The royal family also participates in the parade along with the natives and their idols. Many food fiestas are also arranged specially for the festival.
Read Also: Jaisalmer Desert Festival
Cultural Stay Experience During Gangaur:
If you want to enjoy Gangaur like a local, stay in a homestay.
Many families welcome guests and allow them to:
- Join daily puja
- Try homemade Rajasthani food
- Learn traditional dressing & jewellery style
- Apply Mehendi with women of the house
These stays give a warm, real experience and are usually more peaceful than hotels.
Nearby Destinations to Visit After Gangaur:
After Gangaur, you can visit peaceful places nearby:
- Ranakpur & Kumbhalgarh (near Udaipur)
- Amber Fort & Nahargarh (near Jaipur)
- Osian desert (near Jodhpur)
These places are great to relax after festival crowds.
Gangaur Festival at a Glance:
Explore India’s beautiful culture:
Like Gangaur there are many festivals in different parts of India, which are not very popular still they have unique features, such as the Pushkar fair – the camel fair of Rajasthan. These festivals are worth witnessing once in a lifetime. Here are 30 Lesser-Known Festivals Of India You Should Experience Once.
So, are you ready to enjoy a colorful festival of Rajasthan and tap your feet into the rhythm of Rajasthani traditional folk music? Be prepared to witness the grandness and royalty of the state during Gangaur 2026. Don’t forget to try all the finger-licking dishes of Rajasthan. Rajasthan state enriched with rich culture and grace awaits to welcome you.
FAQs:
The mythological story of Goddess Gauri and Isar explains how Gauri performed deep devotion to win Lord Shiva. After their marriage, she spent 18 days at her maternal home blessing women with marital happiness, which is remembered during this festival.
The festival will be celebrated for around 18 days in March. The Gauri Tritiya celebration in Rajasthan 2026 will be observed toward the end of the festival, when vibrant processions take place in major cities of Rajasthan.
The Ghudlia evening tradition for young girls involves carrying a pot with a lamp and singing folk songs while visiting homes, where they receive sweets, jaggery, and small gifts.
In Jodhpur, Gangaur has a unique version called Dhinga Gavar celebration in Jodhpur, where idols are decorated with special jewelry and placed at major market areas. The tradition of women patrolling with sticks and blessing young bachelors is the main highlight.
Some of the best cities to enjoy the best places to see Gangaur rituals in Rajasthan include Udaipur, Jaipur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, and Jodhpur. Each place has its own style of celebrations, processions, and cultural shows.
The Sinjara gift tradition before Gauri worship is when parents send sweets, clothes, and jewelry to their married daughters. It represents blessings and love before the main puja.
On the final day, idols are taken to lakes or rivers for traditional Gauri-Isar visarjan ceremony, symbolising her return to Lord Shiva after visiting her maternal home.
The Gangaur Teej 2026 date falls in late March, when women worship Gauri-Isar with fasting and rituals for marital happiness. The day ends with colourful processions and idol immersion.
Aditya agrawal
February 13, 2020 at 7:14 pm
Great information!!
TheIndia
February 19, 2020 at 4:38 pm
Thank you very much Aditya ji,