CULTURAL
FESTIVALS
BY GARVIKA JOSHI
WHAT ARE CULTURAL FESTIVALS
Cultural festivals celebrate the traditions
of a specific place or people. They often
include: Parades, Fireworks, Traditional
clothing, Dancing, Cuisine.
Some examples of Cultural Festivals are
Holi , Diwali , Janmashtami , Navratri ,
etc.
WHAT IS GANGAUR ?
Gangaur is a Hindu festival celebrated in the Indian states
of Rajasthan, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
It is also celebrated in some parts of Gujarat
and West Bengal.
The festival is named after Gan, meaning Lord Shiva, and
Gaur meaning Parvati, who are worshipped during the
festival. The festival is significant for Hindu female
devotees, who seek blessings from the divine couple for a
happy married life
Gangaur is a festival of harvest and monsoon. It is
celebrated on the second day from Holi.
HOW TO CELEBRATE GANGAUR
Here are some traditions of the Gangaur festival:
•Collecting ashes: Collect ashes from a holy fire in an earthen
pot.
•Sowing seeds: Sow seeds of wheat and barley in the ashes.
•Making idols: Make clay idols of Shiva and Parvati.
•Fasting: Married women fast for all 18 days, while unmarried
women eat only one meal a day.
•Worshipping: Decorate and worship the idols of Shiva and
Parvati.
•Preparing food: Prepare dishes for the family.
•Wearing traditional clothing: Wear sarees and lehengas,
especially Bandhani and lehenga cholis.
•Giving gifts: On the last day, married women receive gifts from
SOME FACTS ABOUT GANGAUR
Some traditional food on the Gangaur festival menu in
Rajasthan include: Kheer, Choorma, Halwa, Puri, Ghevar.
The Gangaur of Jaipur is famous in all over the world. In
Jaipur, a sweet dish called a ghevar is characteristic of the
Gangaur festival. People buy ghevar to eat and distribute it
among their friends and relatives.
NEW WORDS
1. Cuisine - a style or method of cooking,
2. Significant - having a particular meaning
3. Devotees - a strong believer in a particular religion or
god.
4. Divine - of or like God or a god
5. Ashes - the powdery residue left after the burning of a
substance.
6. Earthen Pot – a pot made from ground soil
7. Idols - an image or representation of a god used as an
object of worship
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