Chaitra Navratri which begun on March 18 is being celebrated in full swing. The nine-day festival commemorated in honour of Goddess Durga marks a number of other festivities during the period. One of the prominent festivals is Gangaur Teej, also known as Gauri Teej and Saubhagya Teej. Celebrated especially in the hearts of Rajasthan, Gangaur Teej is a North Indian festival falling on the third day (Gauri Tritiya) of Chaitra Navratri. Gangaur Teej 2018 date is March 20, Tuesday, which also witnesses the worship of Chandraghanta Devi, the third form of Maa Durga.

Gangaur is a combination of two words – Gana (synonym for Lord Shiva) and Gaur (Mata Gauri) and Gangaur signified the companionship of Lord Shiva and Mata Parvati. It is celebrated to honour Goddess Gauri, a manifestation of Mata Parvati (Lord Shiva's wife) by both married and unmarried women. Just like Mata Gauri won over Lord Shiva’s heart with her austerity and dedication, women can get all their desires fulfilled by praying to her on the occasion. Married ladies worship Gauri Mata to attain her blessings in their marital lives and longevity of their husbands. On the other hand, single women pray to the divine feminine power to bless them with desired partners.

When is the Gangaur Teej Festival in 2018?

Gangaur Teej is one of the most colourful festivals celebrated on the Indian land. It is an 18-day festival that commences on the first day of Chaitra, the day following Holi. Gangaur or Gauri Teej began on March 2 and will finally conclude on the third day of Shukla Paksha of the Chaitra month i.e. on March 20, 2018. Gangaur Teej Shubh Muhurat: According to Drik Panchang, the Tritiya Tithi begins at 17:53 pm on March 19 and Tritiya Tithi end at 16:50 pm on March 20.

Which Parts of India is Gangaur Teej Celebrated?

It is widely celebrated in the state of Rajasthan. From newlywed to young, single girls to married women, Gangaur Teej is a major festival. The all-important fairs and festivities can be witnessed in parts of the state such as Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, and Nathdwara (near Udaipur). It is also celebrated in some regions of Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat. Meanwhile, Rajasthanis who migrated to Kolkata also celebrate Gangaur and this tradition is continued over a hundred years ago.

How is Gangaur Teej Festival Celebrated? Rituals and Traditions

Fasting is an important part of the almost three-week festival with ladies observing a full period fast for 18 days, consuming a meal at one time a day. On the final day, they dress up in brightly coloured new clothes (red, orange, yellow, pink colour sarees), with jewellery and makeup. Mehandi is an important part of the beautification with ladies making henna designs on their hands and feet. They usually opt for floral designs drawing sun, moon and stars on their palms.

Small clay dolls of ‘Isar’ and ‘Gauri’ (idols of Lord Shiva and Parvati) made by local craftsmen called matherans are used to worship during Gangaur festival. They are further decorated with flowers by ladies. The unmarried girls carry the clay pots (ghudlia) with a burning lamp inside, on their heads while singing Rajasthani folk songs also called Gangaur Geet in order to get their desired husbands. They’re given rewards from the elder members of their families as a token of love and blessings. This continues until the last day of Gangaur festival when they break their pots.

Sinjara is the second last day of the festival when the parents of married women send sweets, clothes, jewellery and other decorative items for their daughters. The ladies get dressed up in the given outfits and celebrate the festival with their families. The festival concludes with the departure of Mata Gauri and on the last day, ghudlias are broken and the idol of Gauri is immersed in water. It is believed Lord Shiva escorted his consort, Mata Gauri from her parent’s house to the Himalayas. Gangaur Teej is about giving Gauri maa a grand farewell as she goes away with her husband and supreme one, Lord Shiva.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 20, 2018 01:55 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).