Jaipur, Mar 24 : In anticipation of the much awaited annual Gangaur festival, shops in Jaipur have starting stocking the idols of Hindu God Shiva and her consort Gauri.

Gangaur festival is one of the most important festivals in Rajasthan and is observed throughout the state with great fervour and devotion by womenfolk who worship the idols of Gauri for the welfare of their life partners.

Describing the significance of the festival, Shalu, a local said, "Idol of Isar ji represents Hindu god Shiva while that of Gangaur ji represents goddess Parvati. We offer prayers to these idols on this day. Unmarried girls pray for getting a good groom while the married ladies pray for the long life of their husbands."

The ladies decorate their hands and feet by drawing designs with ''mehandi''.

Due to the increasing demands of the devotees, more than fifty varieties of Isar- Gangaur idols made out of clay, wood and other materials are available in the market.

Naveen Jain, a local shopkeeper said there is a lot of demand for these idols.

"There is a lot of demand for the idols of Isar and Gangaur ahead of this festival. There are a lot of varieties of these idols available in the market today. When a procession is taken out, one can see the idols of Isar and Gangaur as tall as six feet," said Jain.

The prices of these idols range between Rs. 50 to Rs 14,800.

Ladies set up the idol of Isar-Gangaur in their homes sixteen days before the Gangaur festival, which falls in March, the first month in the traditional Hindu calendar, and worship them continuously for sixteen days. (ANI)