What Is Gangaur Puja And Why Do Women Observe This 18-Day Festival?

Gangaur Puja, an annual 18-day festival in many northern Indian states, commenced on March 15, 2025, marking the onset of spring. In Rajasthan, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and many other states this occasion holds deep significance for devotees of Lord Shiva and Goddess Gauri (Parvati). 'Gan' means Shiva, while 'Gaur' means Gauri. According to Hindu mythology, Gangaur, also known as Gauri Puja, is celebrated to honour the Goddess' conjugal love, bravery, excellence, strength and power.

In this article, we explore the story behind the festival, how it is celebrated, and its significance in the contemporary world. 

Gangaur Puja in 2025

While there are many ways of celebrating the Gangaur Puja, it is prominently marked by worshipping Shiva and Gauri. 10 avatars of Goddess Gauri are worshipped: Gauri, Uma, Latika, Subhaga, Bhagmalini, Manokamna, Bhavani, Kamada, Saubhagyavardhini and Ambika. For this festival, devotees craft and decorate clay idols of the deities.

On these 18 days, women start their day early in the morning with a ritualistic bath. Then, they adorn themselves with solah shringar (16 traditional ornaments) and vow to fast for the long lives of their husbands. Women typically consume only one proper meal a day. Then, they perform the Shodashopachar puja a 16-step worship ritual.

According to tradition, the Shodashopachar puja includes 16 steps: Meditation-prayer, asana, padya, ardhya, achaman, bath, clothes, yajnopaveet, gandhakshat, flowers, incense, deep, naivedya, tambool-dakshina-jal aarti, mantra, floral tribute, and finally pradakshina. After the puja, the solah shringar is also offered to Gangaur Mata.

After the puja, the women gather in the evening and read or listen to the mythological stories. They sing folk songs together and celebrate the essence of togetherness and community. On the final day of Gangaur, the clay idols of Shiva and Parvati are bathed and decorated before being taken to a reservoir for immersion.

The idols are carried in a procession, with women and men dancing and singing folk songs along the way. After immersing the Gangaur idols, the fast is ended. Although many of the practices and festivities have evolved over the years, the sense of sisterhood among the women remains constant during Gangaur Puja.

This year, Gangaur Puja is set to conclude on March 31, 2025.