The festival of Teej falls on the shravan month on the 3rd day of the new moon. Women celebrate the festival by praying to the spirit of Goddess Parvati and seek her marital bliss. As to how this festival is celebrated and what significance it has for women forms the subject matter of this discussion.
The origin of the parva of Teej dates back to the times of Goddess Parvati who is said to had charted out her own destiny. She did everything under her prowess to gain her sexual and cosmic life partner. Her firm resolve and purposefulness bore fruits making her ultimately the idol for worship for all the women on earth. Women worship to Parvati to bless them also with the similar fortune she was herself blessed with after her great efforts and sacrifices.
Women, on the Teej day eve, treat themselves with different yummy dishes, fresh new clothes, ornaments, henna, and colourful bangles. The colour gree reigns supreme on this festive eve. Teej also signals the onset of monsoon. This is a great period of joy and hope for women and they dance, sing, eat, and do everything enjoying all the while sitting on swings.
Different styles of Teej festival
States are different, languages are different, and hence the celebration style of Teej festival is also different varying from place to place.
Kajari- Teej: This Teej is celebrated in the month of shravan on the third day i.e. Krishna Paksha Tritiya. As is evident from the name of this Teej, owing to its falling in the month of Shravan, the sky remains covered with blackish (kajrare) clouds. Neem- Tree is worshipped on this occasion.
Haritalika- Teej: This Teej particularly is celebrated in Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. According to the Hindu calendar, this falls on Bhadra- Pad i.e. on the third day of the Shukla -Paksha of the month of Bhado. Generally Teej descends in the month of August and September.The married women worship Goddess Parvati on this day. This festival is celebrated by the young women for the longevity of their husbands.
How Teej is celebrated?
Un married girls also do this vrat to get a good husband and for this the married women take jibes at them. Women of every group apply mehandi on their hands and alta (mahawar) on their feet.
This festival is celebrated with great gusto in Bania, Marwari and Kayashtha communities. Melas are organized by Marwaries on this occasion. Since this falls around Rakhi, therefore, in this melas, numerous stalls are pitched in of colourful Rakhies, imitation jewellery, dress materials and chat pakodas. In the rock garden of Chandigarh, special arrangements are made on this occasion.
Generally, Teej is a one day affair. In some other places, it is celebrated for 2-3 days. One day before the main Teej day, young women congregate to sing geet and bhajans, dance and make merry. They sit to eat together which incluse delicious dishes. It is also called sarahi or sargahi.
Women wear red sarees on this day. They deck up in the bridal attires and ornaments. Not only young but older ladies of 60 years of age deck up themselves in the bridal attire with ornaments. Green sarees and green bangles are the norms of the Teej pooja eve.
The Hariyali -Teej of Vrindawan is quite famous. Devotees of Lord Krishna celebrate this great verve and gusto. Jhoolas (Swings) are adorned here for the devotees in Ashrams and Maths. Mantras are chanted in the famous Banke Bihari Temple. The idols of Radhe-Krishna are hugely decorated. The golden swing is placed for general darshan here on this very day once every year only. Devotees gather here to witness this scene on this day not from India alone but the world over.
On Teej day, women burn ghee oil for the whole night long and take great pains to see to it that it doesn't extinguishes which considered a bad omen. They break the vrat the next day in the morning.
Conclusion: Many women during pregnancy period keep waterless vrat not drinking a drop of water at all. This could be injurious to health. It would be better to seek the advice of the gynaecologist before taking such step. Now a day, women drink tea, coffee soft drinks etc and this is not considered as the violations of the rituals.
