Teej, this much anticipated festival for married women less than a month away; falling on August 6th this year. Women dressed up in traditional attire, glowing in jewellery and henna, they follow a day-long fast and worship Goddess Parvati for their marital bliss. Indian festivals with a historic significance have numerous things to interest you, keep scrolling.

About Teej:

Teej, this is a three day long Hindu festival celebrates the union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. This eve is widely celebrated in northern and western India by married women across Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Rajasthan.

According to the Hindu ideology, Parvati is an incarnation of Lord Shiva's first wife, Sati. It took her 108 subsequent births to bring Shiva out of his meditative state and get him to accept her as his wife again and the 108th birth was as Goddess Parvati. The invocation of Parvati's blessing during the festival is believed to be blessed with an almighty bond of marriage.

"Teej" comes to the third day after the new moon and the third day after the full moon, every month. There are actually three Teej festivals celebrated in north known as Haryali (Green) Teej, Kajari/ Kajli Teej and Hartalika Teej. Women believe fasting and devoting prayers to the deities on this day will be rewarded with wealth and a happy life ahead.

Types of Teej

Hariyali Teej: Hariyali Teej also called as Shravana Teej or Choti Teej, observed on the third day of the month of Shravana. Women will be seen in green and red sarees and receive gifts from their husbands, in-laws and family members.

Kajari Teej: Kajari Teej celebrated two weeks after Haryali Teej. Women pray to Goddess Parvati and keep Kajari Vrat on this day. They also sing, dance and enjoy many festive activities.

Hartalika Teej: On this day women fast entire day. The fast ends with a Hartalika Puja and a grand feast.

How is it celebrated?

On the occasion of Teej, women fast and pray all night. The very next morning, they bathe to purity themselves. Women don themselves in red or green sarees, jingling bangles, decorate hands with henna, add vibrant jewellery and worship Goddess Parvati. In the good old days, swings are fixed to branches of large trees, and the women take turns to joyfully swing on them.

Besides, girls engaged to be married will receive gifts from their future-in-laws on the day before the festival. And the gifts consist of bangles, jewellery, henna, dress, and sweets. Married daughters are given gifts, clothes and sweets by their mother. After the completing of worship they passed on to the things to their mother-in-law.

Rituals of Teej

Teej is celebrated in the months of Shravana and Bhadrapada from July-end to September. The festival starts with a Nirjara Vrat to welcome the monsoon.

Highlights of this celebration are Teej Katha, where women gather in groups and narrate the tales of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Ending the festival on a pleasant note, women light up oil lamps, take a holy bath in red mud and break their fast when the moon shows up in the sky which is also similar to Karva Chaut.

Famous place to celebrate

Teej is celebrated to its best in Jaipur. This Pink City during Haryali Teej and Kajari Teej vibrant with coloured kites, delicious savouries, and the traditional that women put up on this day is incredible. Bundi in Rajasthan is also one of the good places featuring handicrafts and cultural performances. The same reflects in Dilli Haat in Delhi.

Sweets and savouries

Teej is incomplete without sweets and savouries. Rick snacks like mushroom samosas, mirchi vadas, and rajma kebabs are popular on Teej days. Relishing desserts to add on this day are coconut laddoos, traditional ghewar, and gulkand cupcakes. Other traditional sweets to add to the menu are gujiya, anjeer basundi, and malpua. In main course dal bati food is pretty famous from Rajasthan is made during Teej festival etc.

Any festival in India gathers the entire family and Teej however the way it was celebrated in the times of yore was much more vibrant. Swings and folk tales adding the real charm to the festival, current generation is not aware of the bond in it. Generation of our grandmothers knows the real perfection and bliss in this festival.

In 2020, to begin with Haryali Teej, it will held on July 23, Kajari Teej on August 6, and Hartalika Teej on August 21. And Jaipur is the must visit place during Teej, do not forget to plan at least once in a lifetime.