| Gajan | |
|---|---|
&sq=Google&lang=en&file=File:Celebration_during_Gajan_1.jpg) Gajan festival at the village Narna of Howrah | |
| Also called | Shiva Gajon |
| Observed by | Hindus and Tribal people of East India |
| Type | Cultural |
| Significance | marriage ceremony of Lord Shiva and Harakali |
| Celebrations | open air drama |
| Begins | last week of Choitro |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Related to | Lord Shiva |
Gajan or Shiva gajon is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly in the Indian state of West Bengal and Bangladesh. It is associated with such deities as Shiva, Neel and Dharmaraj. Gajan spans around a week, starting at the last week of Choitro continuing till the end of the Bengali year. It ends with Charak Puja on the last day of Chaitra, the last month in the Bengali Hindu calendar. The next day is Poila Baishakh,the first day of Bengali New Year. Participants of this festival is known as Sannyasi or Bhakta. Persons of any gender can be a participant. The complete history of the festival is not known. The central theme of this festival is deriving satisfaction through non-sexual pain, devotion and sacrifice. [citation needed]This Gajan festival is one of the ancient festivals of West Bengal. The festival is seen in parts of Malda, Murshidabad, a few parts in Nadia and large parts of Burdwan. The gajan of Shrikhand village in Burdwan is famous as the gajan of Bhootanathar but actually it is the gajan of Baba Dugdha Kumar Shiva. This gajan was launched by Shri Chiranjeev and Sulochan Anad among the Vaishnava Parshad gajans.