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JODHPUR is known as Cultural and Traditional Capital of Rajasthan because of its rich and vibrant phases of its festivals, its highly diversified culture with its never ending valuable traditions.

Here, below are the festivals which are being shown in ascending order, according to the Hindu calender. 

HOLI FESTIVAL

Holi ( The festival of Colours )is celebrated with enthusiasm and gaiety on the full moon day in the month of Phalgun which is the month of March as per the Gregorian calendar.

Holi festival may be celebrated with various names and people of different states might be following different traditions. But, what makes Holi so unique and special is the spirit of it which remains the same throughout the country and even across the globe, wherever it is celebrated. 

Holi is two day festival.

First Day 

According to Hindu mythology Holi has various legends associated with it. The foremost is the legend of demon King Hiranyakashyap who demanded everybody in his kingdom to worship him but his pious son, Prahlad became a devotee of Lord Vishnu. Hiranyakashyap wanted his son to be killed. He asked his sister Holika to enter a blazing fire with Prahlad in her lap as Holika had a boon which made he immune to fire. Story goes that Prahlad was saved by lord himself for his extreme devotion and evil minded Holika was burnt to ashes, for her boon worked only when she entered the fire alone.

Since that time, people light a bonfire, called Holika on the eve of Holi festival and celebrate the victory of good over evil and also the triumph of devotion to god.

Second Day

On this day there is a great excitement can be seen in people on the next day when 

it is actually the time for the play of colours. Shops and offices remain closed for the day and people get all the time to get crazy and whacky. Bright colours of gulal and abeer fill the air and people take turns in pouring colour water over each other. Children take special delight in spraying colours on one another with their pichkaris and throwing water balloons and passers by. Women and senior citizen form groups called tolis and move in colonies - applying colours and exchanging greetings. Songs, dance on the rhythm of dholak and mouthwatering Holi delicacies are the other highlights of the day. 

GANGAUR FESTIVAL

Gangaur is a festival celebrated in  Rajasthan and some parts of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

Gangaur is the colourful and the one of the most important festivals of people of Rajasthan and is observed throughout the state with great fervour and devotion by womenfolk who worship Gauri,  the consort of Goddess Paravati during the third lunar day of  Shukla Paksha of the Hindu calaendar month of Chaitra. In Gregorian calendar, Gangaur festival is celebrated between  March–April. It is the celebration of spring, harvest and marital fidelity. Gana  is a synonym for Lord Shiva and Gaur which stands for Gauri  or Paravti  who symbolizes Saubhagya (marital bliss).

Lord Shiva and goddess Parvati are worshipped in this festival of Gangaur. It is believed that after a temporary long sacrament Gauri and Shiva reunited on this day. The small doll like Idols of the Shiva and Gauri are made of wood. These divine male and female entities are called ‘Isar’ and ‘Gangaur’.

This festival is specifically meant for women folks The unmarried women worship her for being blessed good husband, while married women do so for the welfare, health and long life of their husbands and happy married life.

 DHINGA GAVAR FESTIVAL 

The function of Dhinga Gavar starts after the sunset when the statues of Dhinga Gavar are put on the dias at 11 important locations in old Jodhpur city. Each statue is decorated in typical Rajasthani costume with gold jewelry of 5 KG to 30 KG. The offering to Dhinga Gavar are made of cannabis and dry fruits powder which is known as "MOI"

 The women of whom mostly are from Pushkarna Brahmin families dress up in fancy dress costume as various Hindu God and Hindu Goddess, police, saints, dacoit, tribal etc, and carry a stick in their hand. They patrol the narrow streets of Jodhpur city whole night protecting the statue of Dhinga Gavar. It is popular belief that any bachelor who comes near these women and is stricken by the stick gets married soon with a suitable girl. Stick is called "Baint" in Hindi so this festival is aslo known as Baintamr Teej.

AKSHAYA TRITIYA FESTIVAL

Akshaya Tritiya:-  Aksahy Tritiya is one of the most auspicious day is also known as "Akah Teej in Rajasthan. Is a Jain and Hindu holy day, that falls on the third Tithi (Lunar Day) of Bright half (Shukla Paksha) of the pan-Indian month of Vaishakha. The day of Akshaya Tritiya is worshipped and said to be auspicious in Jainsim because it is said to have established the very first "Ahar Charya" a methodology to prepare and serve food to Jain Monks. Its is an auspicious day for Hindus because is a birthday of Lord Parasurama who is the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. On this day Veda Vyas and Lord Ganesha began to write Mahabharta.

The meaning of the word Akshaya is infinite that which never recede.

 It is considered a day for charity and new beginnings. Good deeds and offerings made on this day never go to waste. It is believed that anything good done on this day lasts forever and forever. People make special purchases on this day, start new ventures, get married etc.

On this day in Rajasthan a special dish is made from wheat known as “Kheech”.

DIWALI FESTIVAL

Diwali (also spelled Devali in certain regions) or Deepavali popularly known as the "festival of lights," is a five day festival which starts on Dhanteras, celebrated on thirteenth lunar day of Krishna paksha (dark fortnight) of the Hindu calendar month Ashwin and ends on BhaiBeej celebrated on second lunar day of Shukla paksha (bright fortnight) of the Hindu calendar month of Kartik. In gregorian calendar, Diwali Festival  is celebrated between mid-October and mid-November.

Diwali is an official holiday in India

 For Hindus, Diwali is one of the most important festivals of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes. For Jains, Diwali marks the attainment of moksha or nirvana by Mahavira in 527 BC.

The name "Diwali" or "Divali" is a contraction of "Deepavali" (Sanskrit: दीपावली Dīpāvalī), which translates into "row of lamps". Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps (dīpain Sanskrit: दीप) filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. These lamps are kept on during the night and one's house is cleaned, both done in order to make the goddess Lakshmi  feel welcome. Firecrackers are burst in order to drive away evil sprits During Diwali, all the celebrants wear new clothes and share sweets and snacks with family members and friends.

Diwali commemorates the return of Lord Rama along with Sita and Lakshmana, from his 14-year-long exile and vanquishing the demon-king Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya  the Capital of Rama, illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas and by bursting firecrackers.

The festival starts with Dhantera on which most Indian business communities begin their financial year. The second day of the festival is  Roop Chaturdashi is a Soundarya Siddhi Diwas i.e. on this day one can perform some Sadhana for gain of beauty and magnetism. Just as flowers and leaves cannot appear on a dry tree similarly a person who is deprived of handsomeness, joy and vigor cannot rise in life. He remains angry, tense and troubled throughout life. In life beauty and good looks are just as importantas good health.  the third day of Diwali, marks the worship of  Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth in her most benevolent mood, fulfilling the wishes of her devotees. The fourth day of Diwali, on this day people visit their near dear ones home for wishing them “Happy Diwali”. The fifth day is referred to as Yama Dvitiya (also called Bhai Dooj), and on this day sisters invite their brothers to their homes.

Regards,
Ritz.