The festival is celebrated with much fanfare in the month of Chaitra, in March – April. ‘Gan’ stands for Lord Shiva while ‘Gauri’ is goddess Parvati, his wife. The festival stands for the union of the two and is celebrated for conjugal unity. During the festivities, unmarried women pray for a good husband while married women pray for the well being of their husband and family. On the 18th day, the women decorate their hands and feet with mehendi, henna, and a colourful procession of elephants, old palanquins, chariots, bullock carts and performance artists goes through the city.
