India is the land of festivals and colours. Here in India you can see people celebrating festivals throughout the year. Well, Rajasthan is one of my favourite places to celebrate Indian festivals. But did you know, this part of India has its own festivals too?
In this blog, I will share with you my knowledge about some of the exceptionally famous festivals of Rajasthan, India. So if you are planning a trip to India and want to enjoy its festivals, then add this part to your itinerary and enjoy your trip to Rajasthan to the fullest.
Gangaur Festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm in the city of Jaipur as well as the entire state of Rajasthan. The word ‘Gangaur’ is made up of two words – Gan which is synonymous with Lord Shiva and Gauri which is used for Goddess Parvati. In this festival married women worship Goddess Parvati for a happy married life by fasting for the whole day and eating only once a day.
They wear their best attire and relish sweet delicacies throughout the festival. On the seventh day of the festival, women make clay idols and on the seventh day of the festival, they break clay pots and throw the pieces into the water. The idols are also immersed in water on this day.
RIFF is an annual art and music festival celebrated to promote art and traditional folk music. It is a rare festival of Indian and foreign cultures celebrated during Sharad Purnima. Around 200 artists from all over the world participate in this festival, making it a must-see for music and art fans. The venue for this festival is Mehrangarh Fort and Museum, Jodhpur.
Pushkar Mela is an impressive five-day camel and livestock fair held on the banks of the sacred Pushkar Lake in Pushkar, Rajasthan. Falling on Kartik Ekadashi, this Hindu festival is celebrated to commemorate the creation of the Pushkar lake by Lord Brahma.
This festival commemorates two things: the onset of monsoon and a woman’s affection for her husband. The festival is famous for its colourful celebrations in which women observe fasts and apply mehendi on their hands, sing, dance with other women and enjoy long swing rides, tell stories and wear festive attire to commemorate the union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
The bazaars and markets of Jaipur are filled with sweets like Malpua and Ghevar, attractive clothes and jewellery. There is a ritual in which a decorated idol of Goddess Parvati is taken around Jaipur and many devotees and tourists gather to witness this ritual.
This is a three-day festival organised by the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation in February which is a unique festival celebrating the joys of the desert. The scene is alive with dance and music.
During this festival, you will witness the desert life and customs, gymnastic moves, various competitions like longest mustache, Mr. Desert and others, turban tying and camel races, delicious food and attractive stalls selling handicrafts and other souvenirs, which will make it an unforgettable three days of your life. This festival takes place at Sam Dunes in Jaisalmer. This place is about 42 km from Jaisalmer.
This festival is celebrated a few days before Holi. During this time you can see what Bharatpur really is. You can see that people wear colorful clothes and also sing colorful songs. Lord Krishna is worshipped during this festival, for these people perform the beautiful love story of Krishna and Radha. This festival is very popular among tourists from all over the world.
Welcoming the spring season, Mewar Festival is celebrated with enthusiasm across the state. Udaipur is the epicenter of this festival as the Mewar rulers ruled this state from Udaipur, which is why you can get the best experience of the festival from this city. The whole of Udaipur is decorated marvelously to witness this festival. The main importance is given to women who are decked up in their best attire to mark the festival. The main attraction is dressing up Isar, an incarnation of Lord Shiva. Gangaur (Parvati) is also dressed up and their idols are taken through the streets towards the Gangaur Ghat of Pichola Lake. The idols are then placed in boats and immersed in the lake.