Hands adorned with mehndi. (Right) A guest garlands the deities

It was celebration time for women as they celebrated Gangaur festival recently. A three-day celebration had been organised by Purva Kolkata Maheshwari Sabha at Phulbagan Gangaur Park and it saw participants dancing to folk numbers as they welcomed goddess “Gauri” to her mother’s house.

Organised for and by women to celebrate the spirit of womanhood and marital life, the festival saw women dress in traditional outfits. On the first day the women adorned their hands with mehendi and sang religious hymns glorifying the goddess. The second day was all about garba and the third day had about 200 ladies participate in a procession for Gangaur.

An attraction was the singing of the hymns which they had been set to the tunes of popular Hindi numbers.

“Gangaur symbolises marital happiness achieved by goddess Gauri. On the final day of the festival women, especially young girls, keep a fast requesting the goddess for a good husband and praying for his well-being,” said Sashikanta Kothari, a 55-year-old resident of VIP Road.

For 35-year-old Rajni Somani, a resident of HB Block, the festival is all about meeting relatives and having fun. “While I came to the event on all three days, I enjoyed the most on the second day when we performed garba. Even the procession was fun.”