This Festival is Here Again and I’m So Excited
Because this festival is especially dedicated to women
No matter what the festival is, if a woman is not involved in it, then it does not feel like a festival. Because it is a woman who decorates the entire house, welcomes guests and cooks various delicacies.
It’s not a cup of tea of man.
Am I right, ladies?
I believe festivals are a great way to express gratitude towards Mother Nature. Because Mother Nature has nurtured us with amazing things it is our responsibility to say a warm thank you to her by offering her our gratitude and festivals are such a way to express a huge gratitude.
Festivals play a vital role in meeting our relatives. Because we do not meet our relatives every day, we meet them occasionally, and what is more like than festivals. All the family members meet at one place and enjoy a pleasant time.
Teej Festival
Since I belong to India, we celebrate a lot of festivals with great pomp and show. i.e. Holi, Diwali, Eid, Rakshabandhan, etc. are all famous festivals worldwide but apart from these, many other festivals are celebrated with great pomp here and one of them is — Teej.
Teej festival is especially celebrated in North India i.e. Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, etc. Teej festival is known by different names in these states. In my state — Rajasthan Teej is also known Hariyali Teej.
Teej festival is considered a unique festival in itself. Because this festival is specially dedicated to women.
Teej falls on the lunar month of Shravan and this time it is celebrated on the 7th of August. Every woman and girl celebrates this colorful festival with great joy and enthusiasm, wearing colorful dresses. On this day, every family invites their married daughters to celebrate this festival with them. They give lots of gifts to her and her in-laws.
The aroma of delicious Rajasthani sweet Ghevar — such a delicious dish that is made especially on this occasion, lingers in every city and street of Rajasthan. Women adorn their palms with Mehandi (henna) before the previous day ( called Sinjara ) of Teej. Women adorn themselves with traditional outfits and do Solah Srinagar aka makeup on Teej. They go to gardens enjoy swinging swings aka jhoolas hung from trees decorated with flowers and leaves, and dance in groups.
Celebrate Womanhood
I especially love this Teej festival. I celebrate it with my family. We enjoy and relish delicious cuisines i.e. Dal-Baati-Churma, Ghevar, Mirchi-bada, and so on.
All women feel proud to be women. In their hectic lives, the colors of Lehariya compel them to push their beauty toward themselves. Shravan’s Teej brings hope to their hectic schedule.
Teej is not just a festival, it’s totally a get-together of women, in which only women are included, and men aren’t allowed. This festival realizes that every woman is too important in this male-dominated society, without her, this society cannot be imagined. These solah sringaar and swings make us realize that women have equal rights to fun, which no one can take away from them.
It is said that Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati had a reunion after a long penance served by the Goddess. It is believed that she took 108 births before she united with Lord Shiva.
That’s why unmarried girls fast on this day so that they get a good life partner just like Lord Shiva, and newly married women fast on this day to wish a happy and long married life to Lord Shiva-Goddess Parvati.
Teej is celebrated in north India, especially in Jaipur, Rajasthan. And there is a grand celebration organized on this day. An elaborate procession of Teej Goddess is taken out in Jaipur with great pomp and show, watched by a large number of people.
You know what,
Not only Indians but also foreigners come here to witness this grand procession.
Indian women living abroad also celebrate Teej with full custom.
Women follow the rituals with full reverence. They believe that festivals connect us with customs, and they celebrate the Teej festival with great joy and gaiety. This means that wherever women live or work, they do not forget their customs and celebrate all festivals happily.
If you too want to be a part of this grand festival, then book your tickets to Jaipur and witness this grand festival.
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