Teej (तीज) is a festival celebrated in many states of
India and by
Khas women of
Nepal.
Literary "teej" means "third". Therefore Teej falls on the third day after the moonless night (
Amavasya) and the third day after the full moon night of every month. However, the third day after the new moon or Amavasya of
Shraavana
(श्रावण) month is the most important Teej. As Shraavana (or Saawan)
month falls during monsoon or rainy season when the surroundings become
green, the Shraavana Teej is also called Hariyali Teej (Green Teej).
Teej is celebrated in
Haryana,
Rajasthan,
Punjab,
Bihar and
Uttar Pradesh in India. It falls on the third day after the new moon of the
Shraavana or Saawan month of
Hindu calendar in late July to early August. Dedicated to the
Goddess Parvati, commemorating her union with
Lord Shiva, the festival is celebrated for marital bliss, well-being of spouse and children and purification of own
body and
soul. The festival is a three-day-long celebration that combines sumptuous feasts as well as rigid fasting.
[
Teej in Nepal
Nepalese Women dancing in Teej
The first day of Teej is called
Dar Khane Din. On this day the women, married and unmarried, mainly of
Khas
ethnicity, assemble at one place, in their finest attire and start
dancing and singing devotional songs. Amidst all this, the grand feast
takes place. The jollity often goes on till midnight, after which the
24hour fast starts.
The second day is the fasting day. Some women live without a morsel
of food and drops of water while others take liquid and fruit. On this
day, they gaily dress and visit a nearby
Shiva temple singing and dancing on the way. The
Pashupatinath Temple gets the highest number of devotees. At the Shiva temple, women circumambulate the
Shiva Linga,
the symbol of the lord, offering flowers, sweets and coins. The main
puja (religious ceremony) takes place with offerings of flowers, fruits,
etc., made to Shiva and
Parvati,
beseeching them to grant their blessing upon the husband and family.
The important part of the puja is the oil lamp which should be alight
throughout the night.
The third day of the festival is
Rishi Panchami.
After the completion of the previous day's puja, women pay homage to
various deities and bathe with red mud found on the roots of the sacred
datiwan bush, along with its leaves. This act of purification is the
final ritual of Teej, after which women are considered absolved from all
their sins. The recent years have witnessed an alteration in the
rituals, especially concerning the severity, but its essence remains the
same.
Teej is celebrated just before the first day of
Ganesh Chaturthi. Women do 24-hour
nirjala
fasting (without water or fruit) for the wellness of their spouse and
their married life and unmarried would be praying to get a nice husband.
Teej in Haryana
Haryali Teej or Teej is one of the famous festivals of
Haryana specially with
Ahir and
Jat
community and is celebrated officially. Many official functions are
organised by Haryana Govt. to celebrate this festival. This festival is
celebrated to welcome the rainy season. It falls on the third day of
'Shrwana' month. Boys also fly the
Kites
from morning to evening. The sky seems full of thousands of colorfull
and different design kites flowing in every direction. This tradition is
losing its charm in big cities due to high rise buildings and lack of
terrace space. In some other parts of
India, Kites are flown every year mainly on festivals such as
Makar Sankranti or
Independence Day. Swings are set up in the open courtyards and Teej gets the first swing of the season. Girls apply
henna
on their hands and feet and are excused from household chores on this
day. On Teej, it is a must for the girls to receive new clothes from
their parents. The system of giving new clothes on all occasions to a
daughter (and her children) was in lieu of her right to the family
property and money, which was, earlier denied to her by law. On Teej,
just as on
Karva Chouth,
the mother sends a baya or gift. The pooja is performed in the morning.
The baya which consists of a variety of foodstuff, is placed on a
thaali at the place of worship where a chowk (square) has been
decorated, an idol or a picture of Parvati is installed. The evenings
are set aside for singing and dancing. They were specially praying their
husband's long life & their families.
Teej in Jaipur
Teej is the festival of
swings. It marks the advent of the monsoon month of
Shravan
(August). The monsoon rains fall on the parched land and the pleasing
scent of the wet soil rises into the air. Swings are hung from trees and
women dressed in green clothes sing songs in celebration of the advent
of the monsoon. This festival is dedicated to the Goddess Parvati,
commemorating her union with Lord Shiva. Goddess Parvati is worshipped
by seekers of conjugal bliss and happiness. An elaborate procession is
taken out in
Jaipur
for two consecutive days on the festive occasion which is watched by
people in large numbers. The Teej idol is covered with a canopy whereas
the
Gangaur idol is open. The traditional
Ghevar sweet is also associated with the festival.
Teej in Chandigarh
Chandigarh administration makes special arrangements for Teej celebration in
Rock garden
in the city. School children present plays and other cultural programs
on this day. The female members of family especially daughters are given
gifts and dresses.
[4]
Teej in India's other states
Traditionally Teej is celebrated mainly in
Haryana,
Punjab,
Rajasthan,
Uttar Pradesh, &
Bihar (Hartalika Teej Vrat) in different forms. However, now it is also observed in
Delhi,
NCR and
Madhya Pradesh.
On this day Goddess
Parvati is worshiped. A day before this festival is celebrated as Sinjara wherein girls/ladies put on
mehandi on their hands and eat ghewaand taken in a procession in the streets accompanied by singing, music, and dancing.
Teej is an important festival amongst the baniya and marwari community. In this area women are also given
bangles and
bindis.
Swings are also put on trees for the entertainment of young girls.
Unlike the other states and communities amongst the baniyas and
marwaris, the festival is meant as a celebration for women especially
young girls. Girls of the house are given new clothes. A special and fun
lunch is organized by the women of the house for the women in the
house. It is the traditional women's day of the community. It is
customary for mothers-in-law to give the newly married daughter-in-law a
piece of jewellery on her first teej after marriage.
Traditionally, daughters-in-law would go to their mothers house for teej and come back after
Rakhi,
in this way they would spend about 10 days of the summer with their
parents. It is customary that when a daughter goes to her parents house,
she takes sweet and salty savouries with her.
Daughters spend teej with their parents and after they come back they
spend Buddhi Teej which is teej for the daughters-in-law in their
marital home. Buddhi Teej normally falls within a week after
Rakhi.
It is celebrated as
Haritalika in
Maharahstra,
Tay or
Tayi in
Goa and other
Konkanis in
Karnataka, and
Kerala and
Gowri Habba in
Karnataka,
Tamil Nadu and
Andhra Pradesh.
Teej is also an insect
"Teej" is also a small insect (about 10 mm in size), bright red in
colour with velvet feel on touching its skin, that comes out of the
soil during
rains.
When touched by a human, the insect freezes and tries to coil itself
into a ball. After a few seconds, it starts moving again. It has eight
legs and chelicerae like spiders but it is not a spider. It is known as
Red Velvet Mite in English. Its zoological name is
Trombidiidae. You can see it moving about on
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kxs8KIgPTTk.
