Gangaur is one of the most important festivals of people of Rajasthan. Here, womenfolk worship Gauri, the wife of Lord Shiva during March–April. It is the celebration of spring, harvest and marital fidelity. Gana is a synonym for Lord Shiva and Gaur which stands for Gauri or Parvati who symbolizes Saubhagya (marital bliss). The unmarried women worship her for being blessed with a good husband, while married women do so for the welfare, health and long life of their husbands and for a happy married life. That’s what the internet said when I read about it in detail, but what made me fall in love with it was how I stumbled upon it. I was out for a trip with my friends and one evening decided to visit some ghats on Lake Pichola. When I saw this festival, I was just fascinated. The people, the color, the rich culture and above all, the utter happiness in everything and everyone. The two days I was there, were two of my favorite days of that entire year. It was the sort of place and festival that would make you fall in love with India all over again. It was quaint, it was charming, the people were friendly and happy and it truly was one of those days where you just felt lucky to be there. I think I’ve written enough and that the following images give you a glimpse of what I saw and why I fell in love with it.
Jamshed Kavina is writer/editor for Catharsis Magazine.