Essentials of the festival
IdolsIdols of Isar and Gauri made of clay are worshipped during the festival. Permanent wooden idols are painted afresh every year by ‘matherans’ on the eve of festival in some Rajput families. The idols of Gangaur Festival will not have canopy unlike that of Teej Festival.
MehandiThe ladies decorate their hands and feet by drawing designs with a temporary skin decoration- Heena or Mehndi. The Sun, Moon, flowers or geometrical designs are the common patterns that are drawn.
Ghudlias
Ghudlias are earthen pots with numerous holes all around and a lamp is lighten inside them. After 7th day of Holi unmarried girls carry these ‘Ghudlia’ on their head, singing songs in the evening. They go around all the houses in the area and collect small presents, cash, sweets, jaggery, ghee, oil etc. This continues for 10 days. After the conclusion of the Gangaur festival the girls break their pots and throw the debris into the well or a tank and enjoys a feast with the eatables they had collected.
This ritual is performed as a reminder of the victory of Rao Santhal, ruler of Jodhpur, over Mir Ghudley Khan, who had taken 140 maidens who were celebrating the festival of Gangaur with him, in 1548 AD. The burning lamp inside the earthen pot signifies the heroism and chivalry of the Maharaja.