TRADITIONALLY, during the festival of Gangaur, observed on the second day after Holi, around March every year, women kneaded the ashes from the Holika fire with mud to create idols of the goddess Gangaur, who is associated with new crops and is worshipped for her ability to confer conjugal bliss and good husbands. Today these have been substituted with wooden and clay idols made by the Suthar community and painted by the artists of the Matheran and Usta communities. Although originally a festival of the upper caste Thakurs, Rajputs, Baniyas and Brahmins, other castes have begun to celebrate Gangaur too. Since the traditional idols were made to resemble the worshipper. the local artisans have developed a repertoire of idols of various sizes and varying dress. Thus, the doll made for the Baniya (business community) wears a small head ornament known as the rakhadi, a short blouse that reveals the stomach, a fine odhni, or veil, and a lehenga or wide skirt. On the other hand, the idol made for Rajput women is dressed in a kurti and kanchall, a two-piece blouse that covers the stomach. All Gangaur idols, however, have big eyes, sharp noses, slim waists, thin fingers and a youthful appearance.