THE GANGAUR FESTIVAL (INDIA)

At the arrival of spring, the city of Udaipur in Rajasthan is famous for several days during the festival of Gangaur. Girls and single women honor the goddess Gauri (Parvati) of love and fertility and pray for a good-hearted husband to meet their expectations. This is an opportunity for them to dress in their finest saris and wear their finest jewelry. In the processions, they wear statues bearing the image of Gauri over their heads as they walk to the banks of Lake Pichola and honor the goddess with offerings and sing prayers. The celebrations were attended by hundreds of people and conclude in traditional songs and dances.