Bidsar

Bidsar (बीदसर), or Beedsar is a village in the Laxmangarh administrative region of the Sikar district of Rajasthan state in India. The village lies 21 km east of Laxmangarh and 6 km from Nawalgarh. The borders villages and towns including Birodi Bari, Bidasar, Mirzwash, Dundlod, and Nawalgarh.

History
Pre-Indian Independence

Before independence, the village was inhabited by Garhwal Jats.It is considered that a person, name Bida established Bidsar. The village was dominated by Garhwal Jats.

Geography
Bidsar is located at 27.86976°N, 75.21459°W.

Village government
Bidsar falls under Bidasar (Beedasar) Panchayat. The title of leader is Sarpanch, The panchayat has 16 ward members chosen by the people through polling.

Village economy
Some 1500 people, about 80% of the population are engaged in farming. Village agriculture is dependent on the monsoon rains although today many farms use artesian wells for irrigation.

Climate
Bidsar has a hot summer, scanty rainfall, a chilly winter season and a general dryness of the air, except in the brief monsoon season. The average maximum and minimum temperatures are 28-30 and 15 - 16 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Transportation
Bidsar is connected by a two lane asphalt road to Laxmangarh and Nawalgarh. Nawalgarh Railway station 8 km from Bidsar, is the nearest railway station, which is well connected from Jaipur, Delhi and other cities.

Education
The villagers claim to be fully literate while all children now attend school. However, many women remain illiterate, although literacy rates are improving. Many students of the village have obtained admission to pioneering engineering institutes as well as into medical colleges. Mr.Sudhir Kumar Garhwal is pursuing hi M.A. in JNU New Delhi. Village is looking ahead.Village had a Government Secondary School and two Government Primary School.

Society and culture
Village society is governed solely by Hindu rituals although the younger generation has been affected by western cultural influences. Parda, the practice of using veils to cover the face and other parts of the body is discouraged.

Music and Entertainment
Folk songs are sung by women during weddings and on other social occasions. Menfolk sing dhamaal ( traditional Holi songs). Many villagers own TV's as well as radios and satellite dishes. The sound of popular Hindi music emanating from stereos and other devices is heard from different houses during the afternoon and evening.

Games and sports
Most of the children play cricket. Some villagers also play volleyball and football. Villagers can be seen playing cards in chaupal (village common area).

Religion
All villagers follow the Hindu religion. Jats, Harijans, Brahmins live in the village. Among the Jats, Garhwal, Khichar, Punia, Rad, Dotasara, Sunda, Asiagh, Kasania, Sewda are all subcastes.

Festivals
Villagers celebrate all major Hindu festivals. Some of the major festivals are Holi, Deepawali, Makar Sankranti, Raksha Bandhan, Sawan, Teej, and Gauga Peer, Gangaur.

The saying 'तीज त्योंहरा बावड़ी हाड़ो ले डूबी गंगोर' (festivals begin with Teej and end with Gangor)speaks chronology of Hindu festivals. Each of the festival has its own peculiarity and logic regarding time of observance, motive, celebration and usefulness.

Teej

 * The 3rd day of the Shrawan month, the day of 'surangi'(colorful)Teej; middle of rainy season; greenery all around; rows and columns of dark clouds disbursing rains everywhere. The festival celebrates the youthfulness of the nature and humanity. The newlywed daughters are brought to their parental homes. They, singing folk songs on the theme of love and nature, go to village ponds and take bath. Young ladies in pairs can be seen taking ride on "Jhula" (swing made from grass rope, two ropes suspended from a branch of a tree and tied to a foot board to stand on). Kheer is cooked in every home.

Dipawali
The 15th day of Kartik-month at the beginning of winter season, Khareef crops are ready for harvesting, local fruits are ready in plenty, sisters are brought to parental home from their in-laws place, all the members working away from home in foreign lands return home. The festival is observed to worship Goddess Laxmi- seeking wealth, prosperity and peace; celebrations begin from "Dhan Teras" followed by Kanti Dipawali. On the night of 15th, every house is illuminated with "Diya"(small earthen lamps lighted with ghee/oil). Worship is performed by hanging pictures of Laxmi along with Lord Ganesha and putting jewelry and cash interspersed with 'roli', incense, 'prasad'( of cooked rice with ghee and 'shakkar'- powdered gur), dipak of ghee and an ember. The family members dressed in best attires assemble, head lady offers ghee on the ember, if the emerging flame is connected to the flame of the dipak goddess is supposed to be attentive for worship. The lady calls the family members one by one, ties a"Suha naal"(auspicious coloured thread) on the wrist and applies "Tilak"(spot of liquid vermilion/roli on the fore head) or "vibhuti'(burnt ash of the auspicious ember) on the fore head) and the member prays for prosperity/ individual aspirations.
 * "Dhan Teras" - (13th, the auspicious day for wealth), people buy precious metals, new utensils, vehicles etc.
 * Kanti Dipawali- 14th is day for Kanti Dipawali (dipawali without lights).
 * Govardhan-The next day to Dipawali is for "Govardhan”( Lord of the most useful animal- cow) worship and "Raam-rumi"(greeting in the name of lord Rama). A heap of cow dung along with local fruits is put at the gate of every house. The villagers take ferry to each other's house ,say raam-rumi and accept sweets.
 * The last of the celebrations is "Bhaiya-dooj"(the 2nd day of dipawali for brothers); sisters oblige brothers for remembering and bringing them to parental home to participate in the celebrations.
 * The boys of the village start playing of "Hidda-lighting'(tied beams of straws) 15 days before dipawali. In the early night, they gather at the out skirts of the village; light their hiddas, dance, race and sing folk songs. Nice opportunity to prove one's efficiency, making friends and entertaining. How colorful, attractive and purposeful the festival! Children used to count months and days ahead of Dipawali. Interesting to note that in contrast to the cities, no crackers were exploded in the villages during diwali celebrations.

Holi
The end of Falgun month; lively fauna and flora; spring season spreads its smell all around; villagers having harvested their crops in leisure ready to enjoy the season. The occasion is Holi festival; the festival of revelries for toiling masses in contrast to Dipawali for affluent ones.
 * According to mythology Holika, sister of mighty demon Hiranyakashipu, had a magical "Choonri"(a decorated colured cloth for woman to cover head and wrap around the body)with a boon that anything covered with it would be immune to fire. She tried to burn child " Bhakat"(devotee and worshiper of any god)Prahalad by covering herself with the 'choonri'and taking the child in her laps and setting fire on but the child remained unscathed while Holika burnt to ashes. The victory of truth(Prahalad) over evil(Holika) is legend of celebrating Holi. Again interesting! Victory of prahalad but celebration in the name of Holika, perhaps due to feudal influence in latter stage.
 * Holi celebrations start from "fullariya-dooj"(the 2nd day of Falgun when flowers are in full bloom), playing on chang or "Daph"(a drum of round circular frame of wood covered with skin of sheep) starts from this day. The Daph is held on shoulder near the ear and beaten/struck with the flap of the palm of hand/fingers. Every evening, a group of people (called 'Rasiya') play on daph while dancing on knees and singing folk ballads in a rhythm at different pitches. The saga is called "Dhamal". Young girls play "Loor"(a dance with measured steps and stanza  of a song by each participant). On the day of Holi ,a small tree of khejri is planted in the midst of "Bhintka"(a heap of straws of a thorny bush) on the out skirts of the village. In the evening, the villagers gather at the spot; the girls throw 'Badkulia' बड्कुलिया ( a garland of cow dung pieces)on the Holika, the village head offers a coconut, the 'rasiyas' play on daph, the children explode crackers and Holi is set on fire. Meanwhile unmarried youth, aspirant of marriage at the earliest, takes out the planted tree(Prahalad) and 'holika' is burnt to ashes. The wise farmers read omens from the direction of the  flames of burning 'Holika' and voice of birds etc.; others symbolically plough their farms and throw their 'Matira' ( a fruit of watermelon category)through the flames and thus the celebration is over. The sweet diet is rice with ghee- shakar.
 * At night all the villagers gather in the village courtyard to play "Gindhad"(Dandya dance in circle around the 'Nagara'- a big drum). The next day is observed as 'Dhulandi'. All the villagers along with 'rasiyas' take a ferry(procession  called 'Gehar') to each house demanding sweats and wine on this or that count. Thus Holi, the most important festival of the villagers, is a good  forum for entertainment and  strengthening brotherhood.

Makar Sankranti

 * In the month of Magh, every year fixed on 14th of January, when the sun has entered the zodiac sign of capricorn, signaling end of winter in the northern hemisphere, the festival of makar-sankranti is observed to propitiate the sun god to protect us from the evil effects of astral bodies. Oil based foods-'bada','Gudgala','Pua', cheelda','Pakodi','Gur-papda' etc.are cooked. What a taste of hot oily dishes during the winter days! But the craze and charm of kite- flying prevalent in the cities on this occasion is virtually non- existent in the villages.

Gangaur
The last of the village festivals in a calender year;the 21st day of Chaitra month';spring season at the end of its full bloom, aura of smell and greenery;festive atmosphere at the time of equinox; villagers in leisure ; the occasion is festival of Gangaur,predominantly a function of females like 'Teej'.Literally "gangaur' means goddess Parvati mother of 9 'Gans'( nine basic traits of human conscience-owned by lord ganesha son of parvati).
 * According to mythology, Parvati had worshiped lord Shiva to have him her husband.Therefor,  all the aspirant brides worship goddess mother Parvati praying for providing them with husband of their choice. Some 15 days ahead of the festival, each day early in the morning the girls go to outskirts of the village, collect green branches of the local  bush 'Fog' full of smell with its flower 'Ghintal'( by the way ' the smell of the 'ghital' of the then densely found  bush in the desert areas in the month of 'Chaitra-maas' used to be all pervasive making the surroundings lively and festive. but, alas!,with  fast disappearing of the bush it is no more there!); offer water to the branches and worship Parvati.
 * On the day of the festival in the evening,competitions of wrestling, kabadi, horse and camel race are organised. The youths of the village participate enthusiastically.The idols of the Gaur are thrown in the village well to get them submerged in the fresh water of the well. A legend also goes that a Rajput lady Gangaur while at her parental home jumped in the village well followed by her husband Hada and therefore since then the festival is observed. But it might have been added during feudal period just to give the festival a touch of the authority of the ruling class. The special diet on the occasion is 'Dhokla'(berry like pieces of the dough of millet cooked in the steam of water)along with 'Kheer'.It's also note worthy that the girl who worshiped 'Gangaur' is considered duty bound to do 'Gaur-ujna' after her marriage as an offering for fullfilment of her prayers before marriage.

Village location
On the road into the village there is a well that supplies water to the village next to an abandoned well. On the left side of the road is a common area for Holi celebrations. There are many houses and a few shops to the left of the same road in village common area.One Banyan tree is planted by Shree Ramu Ram Garhwal. The village school is on the right of the road to Laxmangarh leads to the Government Secondary School.

Religious Places

 * Hari baba aashram bidsar (Chatarana Johra)
 * Bala Giri Baba (Bhisrana Johra)
 * Ganesh Ji Mandir (Kumana Johra)
 * Shiv Mandir (Bidsar Bus Stand)

Jat Gotras in village
These are some jat gotras resides in the village: Garhwal, Khichar, Punia, Rad, Dotasara, Sunda, Asiagh, Kasania and Sewda.