TEEJ FESTIVAL

Teej is a monsoon festival celebrated with great spirit by the married women and teenage girls in the Northern Indian states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Bihar and the Central Indian State of Madyha Pradesh. Nepali Teej Festival is also one of the forms of this very important Hindu festival meant to worship Goddess Parvati for marital bliss. Teej literally means ‘third day,’ and is celebrated on the third day of Shukla Paksha (brighter half of month after which comes full moon day) in the month of Shravan coinciding with the monsoon season. According to the Gregorian calender, Teej is celebrated in July-August. In fact, there are three Teej festivals of same character that are celebrated within a period of two months of Shravan and Bhadrapada of Hindu calender. These are Hariyali Teej; Kajari or Kajli Teej; and Hartalika Teej.

The Hariyali Teej estival this year will be celebrated on 17 August 2015. As is know, there are three Teej festivals of which Hariyali Teej is celebrated first after which falls Kajli teej and the last one is the Haritalika Teej. The dates of all the three Teej festivals in the year 2015 are as follows:

Hariyali Teej – 17 August 2015

Kajjli Teej– 1 September 2015

Haritalika Teej– 16 September 2015

Goddess Parvati who is also referred to as ‘Teej Mata’ is worshipped by girls and married women on the day of Teej and a fast is observed by them to seek the blessings of the Goddess. According to the Teej legend, Goddess Parvati got reunited with her consort Lord Shiva on the pious day of Teej. It is said that Parvati observed rigorous fasting and did ‘tapasya’ (paid penance) for 100 years to be reunited with Lord Shiva. She had to take 108 births to be accepted by Lord Shiva as his wife.  Thus, Teej festival has become an important festival for married women who commemorate the reunion of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. It is believed that the invocation of Parvati’s blessing during the Teej festival ensures marital bliss in one’s life.

As Teej is the festival of women for marital bliss in their lives, the rituals of Teej festival too are related to this concept. The parents of married women send gifts for their daughters and her in-laws which is known as ‘Sindhara’ giving Teej another name, Sindhara Teej. These gifts include clothes, sweets and such things for daughter as bangles, henna, bindi, and other cosmetics. If it is the first Teej after a girl’s marriage, she visits her parental home and celebrates the festival there only and goes to her husband’s house only after Raksha Bandhan to celebrate Badi Teej there. If a girl has been engaged, gifts for her come from the home of her future husband. The girls observe fast to get a husband like Lord Shiva and married women fast with the wish of long life of their husbands and marital bliss in their life.

Shravani Teej as it is called because of being celebrated in the Shravan month of rain- is one of the most awaited festivals for women who get ready on this day in their best clothings, wear many ornaments, decorate their palms and feet with ‘mehndi’ or henna, and do all the make up thought apt for a married woman. All married women and girls observe fast to please Goddess Parvati and seek her blessings for happy married life. Women of all ages get in full spirit this day and sing the Teej songs in chorus and dance with joy. As this is the season of rain and everywhere there is greenery, the festival is also known as ‘Hariyali Teej’ or the ‘Green Teej.’ Swings on the branches of trees with girls and women taking turns is a common sight on the day of Teej and also during the whole monsoon season.

Some special sweets are made not only in homes but are also available in almost all sweet shops these days. These include ‘Ghewar’ and ‘Pheni’ as the most relished sweets on Teej.  There are certain peculiar ways of celebrating Teej in some regions like in Jaipur, Chandigarh of Punjab, Nepal and so on.

Teej refers to the monsoon festivals, observed particularly in western and northern states of India, Nepal, and in some Southern states of India such a Telangana. The festivals celebrate the bounty of nature, arrival of clouds and rain, greenery and birds with social activity, rituals and customs.

The festivals for women, include dancing, singing, getting together with friends and telling stories, dressing up with henna-coloured hands and feet, wearing red, green or orange clothes, sharing festive foods and playing under trees on swings on Haryali Teej.

The festivals are dedicated, in many parts of India and Nepal, to Parvati.