All About Teej Festival And Celebration
Teej Festival And Celebration is an auspicious festival celebrated by Hindu women to welcome the monsoon and seek the blessings of Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva to have a happy married life and for the good health of their husbands. The Teej festival marks the union of Shiva and Parvati. Teej Festival & Celebration are common in Northern India and Nepal. The festival is celebrated during the month of Shravan in the Hindu calendar. The festival also gets its name from a red insect called Teej, which appears during monsoon.
The fun and festive vibes all around will want everyone to become a part of the celebrations. This festival is also one of the days that showcase our country’s rich culture. It is celebrated in the Northern and Western States of India in different yet similar ways. From women getting dressed up and swings being set up on trees to pujas and fasts, there are many similarities in the way it is celebrated across various states. Still, there is also something special and unique that happens in each state.
There are two more Teej that are celebrated. Kajari Teej and Hartalika Teej fall in the month of Bhadrapada of the Hindu calendar.
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Etymology
Hariyali Teej, also known as Shraavana Teej or Choti Teej, is celebrated on the third day after the new moon in the Shravan month. Hariyali means greenery, which can be seen everywhere around during the monsoons and thus the name. Goddess Parvati had fasted and prayed for many years, and finally, in her 108th birth, Lord Shiva accepted her as his wife. It is believed that Haryali Teej was the day when Shiva accepted Parvati as his wife.
Customs
A day prior to Hariyali Teej, Sinjara is celebrated. Sindhara, which are gifts for a married woman, is also received from her mother. These gifts include new clothes, bangles, mehndi and all the other shringar essentials. She also receives ghevar and other sweets on this auspicious occasion. On the day of Sinjara, women apply mehndi to their hands and feet. It is considered auspicious to do so.
On the day of Teej, women dress up in beautiful new sarees. The green colour is mostly preferred to be worn for the celebrations. In some areas, women wear leheriyas. Leheriya is traditional work or print that is done on sarees and dupattas and looks like waves. They wear bangles and do shringar, which is considered an important part of a married woman in the Hindu culture.
Many women also make idols of Parvati, Shiva and Ganesh using clay to worship them. Doing this is also considered auspicious. The ladies listen to the Vrat kathas (stories) and fast for the whole day to pray for their husband’s well-being. Since it is the Goddess Parvati who is worshipped, she is also called ‘Teej Mata’. All the ladies gather to set up Goddess Parvati’s idol and offer flowers, sweets, and shringaar items to the idol. One of the ladies read the vrat katha.
Unmarried girls also keep fast and celebrate this festival in the desire to find a good husband.
Swings are also set up in the gardens, and all the women take turns on the swings.
How is Puja Done?
Women wake up early in the morning, two hours before sunrise. They get dressed in green coloured clothes after taking a bath for the puja. The area where the puja will take place is cleansed with Gangajal and then covered with red cloth.
Then, Lord Ganesh is prayed to, and a Kalash is placed at the chowki. Placing a Kalash filled with water near the puja sthal is considered very auspicious in Hindu culture. This Kalash is covered with leaves and coconut.
The food on this day is specially cooked without onion and garlic.
Teej Festival And Celebration in Jaipur, Rajasthan
The celebrations of Teej in Jaipur are a must-watch. The festival celebrations are also a major tourist attraction in Pink City.
You see palanquins, cannons, chariots, decorated horses, elephants and camels, folk dancers and bands. It is such a vibrant event and attracts the attention of the tourists visiting Jaipur. The procession starts from Tripolia Gate, which is used by the royal family of Jaipur and opens up only twice a year for such events, one being Teej and the other one Gangaur.
Teej Festival & Celebration in Chandigarh
On the day of Teej, the city’s famous Rock Garden becomes the venue. Cultural programs and plays take place at the Rock Garden, and swings are also set up. There is a lot of joy while celebrating this festival.
Teej Festival & Celebration in Haryana
In Haryana, Hariyali Teej is one of the most popular festivals and an official holiday. Young boys can usually be seen flying kites on this day, while girls enjoy their day on the swings.
Teej Festival & Celebration in Punjab
The Teej festival is called Teeyan in Punjab. The women gather in the courtyards where the swings are set up and enjoy their day. They also do Gidda to celebrate and have fun on this auspicious day. Fairs are also organised as a part of Teeyan celebrations.
Folk Songs Sung
The festivals are a great time to sing and dance, and there are various folk songs for every occasion in India. Similarly, to celebrate Teej, different regions have different songs. In Haryana, there are songs like “Meri Bahna Boli Koyalia Kali, Aaye Sai Teej Hariyali”, or the song from Rajasthan, “Savan Ri Teej”. Similarly, a Bhojpuri song from the festivities in Bihar is “Saath Mera Hole”. No celebration or festival can ever be complete without having folk music and dance representing our diverse culture which is so different yet similar. Even if the way of celebrating the festival is quite different in various states, it is celebrated with the same enthusiasm.
Traditional Food of Teej
Indian festival can never be complete without sweets. Sweets must be a part of every occasion and festival of our lives. Teej also has some special delicacies offered to Goddess Parvati and consumed by women after the fast ends. These sweets include Ghevar, Kheer, Balushahi, Jalebi and Shakkar Para. The sweets preferred to vary from state to state.
Bond of Husband and Wife
After the wife completes her fast, the husbands get gifts to make them happier. The festival symbolises the sacrifices a woman makes and the love and care she has for her husband.
Nowadays, many husbands also accompany their wives in keeping the fast. And gifts to each other on this festive day are just a form of expressing love and appreciating the efforts. You can pick an interesting gift or surprise for your partner.
- Flowers: Flowers are one of the best ways to express love and emotions to your wife. After the entire day of fasting, when you give her some fresh, aromatic flowers, she will surely love them. The husbands and the wives can also get flowers for their husbands to celebrate their love. Now, you can order flowers online.
- Chocolates: You can also get your partner some chocolates to open their fast with something sweet. Chocolates would be something that they would love to have after being hungry for the whole day.
Takeaway
This festival has a very important presence in our lives. This festival is a beautiful, joyous celebration of a couple’s love. You can give some amazing gifts to your partner on this special day from Bloomsflora. You can choose flowers from our website that will make your partner go wow or some nice gifts to cherish after a long day. Pick flowers in a bunch, basket, vase or box and order them online.
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Soumen Mondal
Soumen Mondal is an enthusiastic writer and blogger known for his captivating and insightful content. With a diverse range of interests, his versatile writing style covers topics from technology, Nature, lifestyle & personal development. His ability to simplify complex ideas makes his articles accessible and valuable to readers of all backgrounds. Through his thought-provoking narratives, he aims to inspire and leave a lasting impact on his audience.
