Teej Festival

Teej Festivals: 

Hariyali Teej :

On Teej day Married women usually observe fast on this day and await the moon sighting during the night. The legend has it that Hariyali Teej is marked to celebrate the reunification of Goddess Parvati with Lord Shiva. It is this day when Lord Shiva accepted Goddess Parvati as his wife (consort).

It is believed that Goddess Parvati practised austerity for a number of years and observed fast so that she becomes the wife of Lord Shiva. And finally, her dedication won over Shiva and she was accepted by the supreme lord as his better half in her 108th birth. The goddess is also revered and prayed upon this day as the Teej Mata.

Hartalika Teej : 

Celebrated on the third day of the bright half of the North Indian lunar month, Hartalika Teej is one of the three Teej including Hariyali Teej and Kajri Teej that are celebrated throughout India by Hindu women. The Indian monsoon brings along with it this most popular Hindu festival which is celebrated in the Indian states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Here is all you need to know about the date, history, significance and celebration of Hartalika Teej 2021 in India in the monsoon season:

Date:

Hartalika Teej falls a month after the celebration of Hariyali Teej in India and mostly a day before Ganesh Chaturthi. The day is celebrated on Shukla Paksha Tritiya of the Hindu month of Bhadrapud, that is the third day of the bright half of the North Indian lunar month.

This year, Hartalika Teej falls on August 11, 2021.

According to mythology, Goddess Parvati’s friend had once taken her into a forest so that her father would not be able to marry her to Vishnu against her wishes. Parvati requested her friend to kidnap her after her father, Himalaya, promised her hand in marriage to Vishnu.

Parvati wanted to save this marriage from taking place since she had performed severe austerity along the banks of the river Ganga to have Shiva as her husband. After the planned abduction, Parvati performed penance in a thick forest and immersed herself in the adoration of Shiva for many years.

Being an ascetic, Shiva did not know about her before but he finally took notice of her devotion. Appearing before her in his divine form, Shiva agreed to marry her.

The word Hartalika is derived from ‘Harat’ and ‘Aalika’ which means ‘kidnapping of a woman friend’. Hindu devotees believe that it was on the day of Hartalika Teej that Shiva accepted Parvati as his wife after her 108 re-births.

On this day, married Hindu women observe Nirjala Vrat or a fast where they neither eat nor drink throughout the day. Seeking the wellness of their husband, children and their own self, the women fast for day long.

The devotees pray to makeshift statues of Parvati and Shiva for marital bliss, harmony and progeny to mark the festival since it is dedicated to Parvati’s re