Gangaur 2027 – Rajasthan's Festival of Marital Love
गणगौर
When is Gangaur in 2027?
Gangaur 2027 falls on Friday, 9 April, on Chaitra Shukla Tritiya, the day after Gudi Padwa. It is Rajasthan’s festival honouring Gauri (Parvati) and her consort Isar (Shiva), when women worship the divine couple for marital happiness and long life for their husbands.
Gangaur is one of Rajasthan’s most loved festivals, a celebration of the bond between Gauri, a form of Parvati, and her husband Isar, a form of Shiva. The name itself joins the two: Gan for Shiva and Gaur for Gauri. Married women pray for the wellbeing and long life of their husbands, while unmarried girls seek a good match. The celebration stretches over about eighteen days, from the day after Holi to Chaitra Shukla Tritiya, and closes with colourful processions in cities like Jaipur and Udaipur.
Gangaur 2026-2028: Dates & Calendar
The main Gangaur day is Chaitra Shukla Tritiya, the third day of the bright fortnight of Chaitra, which is why the date shifts each year with the lunar calendar. The next Gangaur is on 9 April 2027.
| Year | Main Day | Weekday | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 21 March | Saturday | Already observed this year |
| 2027 | 9 April | Friday | Next occurrence |
| 2028 | 29 March | Wednesday | Falls earlier as the lunar month shifts |
The eighteen-day observance opens the day after Holi, when women begin collecting fresh grass and preparing clay images of Isar and Gauri. The final two to three days carry the most visible celebration, including the public processions.
Why Gangaur Is Celebrated
Gangaur celebrates the union of Gauri (Parvati) and Isar (Shiva) as the ideal of a devoted marriage, and it honours Gauri as the giver of marital happiness, fertility and abundance.
A prayer for the marriage
Married women observe Gangaur for the long life and good health of their husbands. The devotion of Parvati towards Shiva is held up as the model, and women recall her penance to win him as her husband.
Hope for a good match
Unmarried girls also keep the observance, praying to Gauri for a caring and worthy husband. Much of the festival’s charm comes from young girls dressing up, applying mehndi and singing traditional Gangaur songs together.
Spring and new beginnings
Coming at the end of winter and just after Holi, Gangaur carries the spirit of renewal. The fresh grass and greenery gathered during the festival tie it to fertility, a good harvest and the fresh energy of the season.
Deities & Figures Worshipped
Gangaur centres on the divine couple: Gauri, a gentle form of Parvati, and Isar, a form of Shiva, worshipped together as husband and wife.
Gauri (Parvati)
Gauri is the fair and gracious form of Parvati and the heart of the festival. As the perfect wife and mother, she is worshipped for marital harmony, love and the welfare of the family. Her clay image is decorated with fine clothes, jewellery and flowers.
Isar (Shiva)
Isar is the local name for Shiva as Gauri’s husband. His clay image is placed beside hers, and the pair is worshipped together, representing the ideal married couple whose bond women hope to mirror in their own homes.
Key Rituals, Step by Step
The observance unfolds over roughly eighteen days, building from quiet daily worship at home to the grand closing processions.
- Gathering after Holi. The day after Holi, women collect ash from the Holika bonfire and fresh grass, marking the start of the festival.
- Making the idols. Clay images of Isar and Gauri are shaped by hand, then dried, painted and dressed in colourful clothes and ornaments.
- Daily worship. For the following days women worship the idols each morning and evening, offering water, flowers, sweets and songs sung in praise of Gauri.
- Applying mehndi. Girls and women decorate their hands with mehndi and dress in their finest clothes and traditional jewellery.
- Offering food and water. Symbolic meals and water are offered to the couple, and married women often keep a fast for their husbands’ wellbeing.
- The processions. On the final days the decorated Gauri idols are carried out in grand processions with music, dance and folk performers.
- Immersion. The celebration closes when the idols are taken to a well, tank or river for a farewell and immersion, sending Gauri back to her husband’s home.
Special Foods of Gangaur
Sweets take centre stage during Gangaur, with one dish in particular tied to the season.
Ghewar
Ghewar is the signature sweet of Gangaur. This disc-shaped treat of fried batter, soaked in sugar syrup and often topped with rabri or dry fruits, is made and shared across Rajasthan during the festival.
Malpua and dal-baati
Sweet malpua pancakes are a popular festive offering, while hearty dal-baati-churma often appears at family meals through the celebration.
Festive sweets and gifts
Homes prepare and exchange assorted sweets, and it is customary for newly married women to receive gifts and sweets from their parents’ families during Gangaur.
Regional Names & Variations
Though rooted in Rajasthan, Gangaur is observed with local flavour across western and central India.
Jaipur
Jaipur hosts the most famous Gangaur procession, where the idol of Gauri is carried from the City Palace through the old city, accompanied by decorated elephants, camels, horses and folk troupes.
Udaipur
Udaipur is known for its Mewar Gangaur, which includes a lakeside celebration with a boat procession on Lake Pichola and cultural performances by the shore.
Madhya Pradesh
In parts of Madhya Pradesh, especially the Malwa region and Nimar, Gangaur is kept as a festival of Gauri worship with its own folk songs and community gatherings.
Gujarat
Communities in Gujarat also observe Gangaur, with women worshipping Gauri for marital happiness and prosperity in a quieter, home-centred form.
Gangaur Do's and Don'ts
A few simple points help you take part in the festival respectfully.
Do
- Worship Isar and Gauri together as a couple
- Dress in traditional clothes and apply mehndi
- Learn and join in the traditional Gangaur songs
- Share ghewar and sweets with family and neighbours
- Immerse the idols respectfully at the end of the festival
Avoid
- Do not treat it only as a fair and skip the worship
- Do not use disrespectful or damaged idols
- Do not break a fast carelessly if you have chosen to keep one
- Do not litter idol materials in water bodies; immerse mindfully
- Do not force the fast on anyone unwell; it is meant to be voluntary
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Gangaur in 2027?
Gangaur 2027 falls on Friday, 9 April, on Chaitra Shukla Tritiya. This is the main day of the festival, coming the day after Gudi Padwa and closing the roughly eighteen-day observance that begins after Holi.
When is Gangaur in 2026 and 2028?
Gangaur was on Saturday, 21 March in 2026, and it will be on Wednesday, 29 March in 2028. The date changes each year because it follows the Hindu lunar calendar, landing on the third day of the bright half of Chaitra month.
Why is Gangaur celebrated?
Gangaur is celebrated to honour the union of Gauri (Parvati) and Isar (Shiva) as the ideal married couple. Married women observe it for the long life of their husbands, and unmarried girls pray for a good match, making it a festival of marital love and devotion.
What does the name Gangaur mean?
The name Gangaur joins two words: Gan, meaning Shiva, and Gaur, meaning Gauri, a form of Parvati. So Gangaur literally refers to Shiva and Parvati together, the divine couple at the heart of the festival.
Which god is worshipped during Gangaur?
Gauri, a gentle form of the goddess Parvati, is the main deity of Gangaur, worshipped alongside her husband Isar, a form of Shiva. Devotees make and worship clay images of the couple, treating them as the model of a happy marriage.
How is Gangaur celebrated in Jaipur?
Jaipur hosts the most famous Gangaur procession. The decorated idol of Gauri is carried from the City Palace through the old city with elephants, camels, horses and folk performers, drawing large crowds each year on the closing days.
What is the special food of Gangaur?
Ghewar is the signature sweet of Gangaur. It is a disc-shaped fried treat soaked in sugar syrup, often topped with rabri or dry fruits, and it is prepared and shared widely across Rajasthan during the festival.
How long does Gangaur last?
Gangaur runs for about eighteen days. It begins the day after Holi, with days of making and worshipping clay idols of Isar and Gauri, and reaches its peak on Chaitra Shukla Tritiya with grand processions and the farewell immersion of the idols.
May Gauri and Isar bless your home with love and lasting togetherness. Happy Gangaur!