Archive · 17 Sep 2026
Nearly 18 Lakh Visit Jaipur Temple For Sacred Henna
Nearly 18 lakh people went to a temple in Jaipur to receive special henna.
The henna is part of an annual festival held before Ganesh Chaturthi.
Many unmarried women believe using it may help them get married within a year.
The henna was first offered to Lord Ganesh.
It was then given to visitors as prasad, or a religious offering.
Families came from different parts of India and waited for hours in the heat.
The crowds became so large that roads were blocked and the henna eventually ran out.
Videos of the event led to different reactions online, including criticism of the crowds and comments about social media making the festival more popular.
Nearly 18 lakh devotees visited Jaipur’s Moti Dungri Ganesh Temple on September 13 for sacred henna.
Unmarried women believe applying the henna can help them find a spouse within a year.
About 3,500 kilograms of henna was brought from Sojat, offered to Lord Ganesh, and distributed as prasad.
Large crowds caused miles-long queues and traffic disruptions on MD Road and GLN Road.
The henna ran out by evening, while social media users debated whether the tradition’s growing popularity was troubling or driven by Instagram.
- Who
- Nearly 18 lakh devotees, including families and unmarried women, attended the event.
- What
- Devotees collected henna offered to Lord Ganesh as part of the annual Mehndi Utsav.
- When
- September 13; the festival is held annually before Ganesh Chaturthi.
- Where
- Moti Dungri Ganesh Temple in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
- Why
- Devotees sought the sacred henna because of a belief that it can help unmarried women find a spouse within a year.
- Attendance
- Nearly 18 lakh people attended in a single day.
- Temple
- Moti Dungri Ganesh Temple, Jaipur
- Henna quantity
- Around 3,500 kilograms
- Henna source
- Sojat
- Ritual
- The henna was offered to Lord Ganesh during mehndi pujan before being distributed as prasad.
- Crowd impact
- Queues stretched for miles and blocked large sections of MD Road and GLN Road.
- Shortage
- Temple authorities announced by evening that the henna stock had run out.