Jaipur Festivals |
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Deepawali (October-November) : |
The festival of light. Though Deepawali is celebrated all over India,
Jaipur's Diwali is something special. Every corner of the city sparkles.
With every building glowing, skyline filled with colorful light crackers and
the Nahargarh fort over the hill seeming like a glittering palace in the
sky, one cannot help remembering childhood fairytales.
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Donkey Fair (Khalkani Mata Mela) (October) : |
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The donkeys day at Looniyabas near Sanganer. Thousands of donkeys from all
over north India are brought here for buying and selling. The donkey races and
sports are organized for the merriment people. A rare sight indeed.
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Gangaur (March-April) |
This festival is celebrated by the maidens and married women, and is
dedicated to Gauri, the incarnation goddess Parvati, the consory of Lord
Shiva. A colorful procession is taken out from Zanana Deohri of the City
Palace, passing through Tripolia Bazaar, Gangauri Bazaar, Chaugan and
converging near Talkatora. There are elephants, camels and dancers joining
in the processions.
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Teej (July-August) : |
Festival marking the advent of Monsoon. Swings are hung from trees and
decorated with flowers. Young girls sing songs of love and about the rain.
The festival is dedicated to Parvati, commemorating the day when she was
united with Lord Shiva. A magnificent procession is taken out from City
Palace, similar to the Gangaur procession, for two consecutive days.
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Elephant Festival (March - April) : |
The elephants enthrall the spectators on the day of the colorful festival of
Holi at Chaugan stadium. Beautifully decorated elephants assemble for a
royal procession. Elephant polo, the races etc. are part of the festival.
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Makar Sakranti (January 14) : |
Celebrated on the 14th of January, every year with traditional fervour, the
devotees take a holy dip in the tank at Galtaji. This is also the day of
kites at Jaipur. The activity has become a craze amongst the citizens. You
will hardly find a school kid over 10 or 12 in the walled city who does not
know flying kites. The phenomenon starts well before the Makar Sakranti day.
And continues even after the festival. But on this day, it is a treat to
watch the skyline of the Pink City. An Unforgettable experience.
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Shitla Ashtami
(March - April) : |
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This festival locally called as Basoda, is celebrated to ward off the
dreaded disease of small fox. The most famous fair is held at the Shitla
Mata temple in Chaksu, people gather here to pray and celebrate. |
