Jodhpur hails a unique festival for early marriage of bachelors

Jodhpur, Apr 2 (ANI): Jodhpur celebrated the fortnight long unique 'Deenga Gawar' festival that culminated on Thursday in which married women in traditional attire take out a procession, beating up unmarried men with the belief this would herald their early marriage!

During the procession, the women sing folk and devotional songs.

"We have been celebrating this festival, in our community, for about 65 years now. Earlier it was celebrated on a smaller scale, but now it is celebrated on a much larger scale. This is all because of the help we get from the members of our community.

Everyone participates in it. It is called Deenga Gawar , and all women participate in it," said Kirpa Ram Soni, President of Organising Committee of Deenga Gawar Celebrations.

Most of the women in the procession carried nicely decorated sticks with which they tap the bachelors to mark the 'beating' so that these unmarried men would find their matches.

The women worshipped Goddess Gawar, an incarnation of Hindu Goddess Parvati .This festival is celebrated to signify the departure of Goddess Gawar from her home to her in-laws. So we all celebrated this event.

All the women dress up and take part in the festivities," said Rupa Joshi, one of the women participants.

Married women also seek the blessings of Goddess Gawar for long life and welfare of their husbands. (ANI)