RAS question
Gangaur festival is primarily dedicated to which deity?
Correct answer: (D) Goddess Parvati (Gauri).
Gangaur is primarily dedicated to Goddess Parvati, worshipped as Gauri or Gangaur, with Isar, Lord Shiva, worshipped alongside her.
Explanation
Gangaur centres on Goddess Gauri, that is Parvati, and its name preserves the divine pairing: "Gan" refers to Shiva and "Gaur" refers to Parvati. Rajasthan Tourism supports the same pairing when it describes women dressing the images of Isar, meaning Lord Shiva, and Gangaur, meaning Goddess Parvati, during the Mewar festival that coincides with Gangaur. The emphasis, however, is not on Shiva alone; the festival's devotional centre is Gauri or Parvati. The associated vows reflect that focus: married women pray for their husbands' well-being, while unmarried girls pray for good husbands.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Goddess Lakshmi is not the deity associated with Gangaur; Rajasthan Tourism centres Gangaur on Gauri or Gangaur, meaning Parvati.
- (B) Lord Shiva, worshipped as Isar, appears alongside Gauri, but the festival is not dedicated to Shiva only because its central figure is Goddess Parvati.
- (C) Lord Krishna belongs to a different devotional setting; Rajasthan Tourism separately describes Braj Holi as dedicated to Krishna, while Gangaur is linked to Isar and Gangaur.
Concept
Rajasthan History, Art and Culture commonly uses festival-deity pairings to identify major regional festivals. Gangaur has a precise cultural association with Gauri or Parvati, not merely a generic spring or women's festival.