The Teej Festival

Relax and Fun - Teej is a widely celebrated festival across India. People celebrate this festival in dedication to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. This festival is celebrated for marital bliss, well-being of spouse and children and purification of own body and soul.

Women Celebrating Teej

Relax and Fun - Teej is primarily celebrated in the north of India, being quite popular in states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab. The period during which Teej is celebrated is said to signify the beginning of monsoon, which takes place right after long and hot summers. Apart from signifying the beginning of monsoon, Teej is also celebrated in honor of the reunion between Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.

This festival is celebrated usually in the month of July-August, so it is also called as ‘Sawan festival’. Jaipur city of Rajasthan is very famous for its Teej celebrations and tourists specially come here to enjoy the celebrations of this Teej festival.

Teej is a hindi word 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 Shravana (श्रावण) month is the most important Teej. As Shravana (or Saawan) month falls during monsoon or rainy season when the surroundings become green, the Shravana Teej is also called Hariyali Teej (Green Teej).

Married women from all over pray to the Goddess Parvati for the well-being and prosperity of their husbands. The festival of Teej is an occasion for fasting, splashy fashion, religious ceremonies and observances as well as a lot of singing and dancing. A lot of religious processions take place during Teej. These processions are colorful affairs where people enjoy themselves among family and friends soaring with the festive spirit.

This festival is quite similar to Karwa Chauth, where married women observe fast and worship gods for well being of their husbands.

Red color is considered auspicious for women observing Teej fast and so most of them dress up in red or bridal clothes

Legend behind Teej festival

Parvati was Sati in her earlier life and Sati died when her father has insulted Lord Shiva.
Shiva was very sad, so Sati appears before Shiva, in her divine form, and reassures him that she will return as the daughter of Himavan.

Teej celebrations originated from a legend of Goddess Parvati. Hindu mythology states that Goddess Parvati reunited with Lord Shiva on this day. She went through hard-core tapasya or penance and took 108 births on the earth. The myth also states that she failed to have Lord Shiva as her husband till 107th birth. In her 108th birth, Lord Shiva realized her devotion and love for him and accepted as his wife.

In this birth, Parvati remembered this and wanted Lord Shiva as her husband. For this, she had observed great penance and was living only on air. Even then, Lord Shiva tested her love for him before accepting her as a wife.

Celebrations in Different States

women do their best to look beautiful at the time of Hartalika Teej

For those who are quite unacquainted with this festival of Teej, you might want to continue reading below where we highlight exactly how the festival is celebrated in the different northern states.

Gujarat

Because Teej is primarily a Rajasthani festival, most surrounding states such as Gujarat base their Teej celebrations around the manner in which Rajasthanis celebrate it. Traditional dance forms such as Dandiya and Garba are quite popular in the state. Outfits such as Ghagra cholis and Lehenga Cholis are typically worn at such events. Most women in this region make the use of colorful dupattas designed with impressive zari and gota embroidery to accessorize their outfits, whether they be sarees, lehenga cholis, ghagra cholis or anarkali suits. Gujarati women also drape their lehengas and sarees differently to women in other states, with the pallu in the front side.

Rajasthan

The festival of Teej is said to have originated in the state of Rajasthan. Numerous fairs and processions are organized all over, where women take part in a variety of traditional dances. Green is the most common color used in the festive Teej clothing. The three-day celebrations see the opening of a lot of huge makeshift markets which sell a lot of festive styles featuring leheriya prints as well as popular Teej jewelry such as kundan and meenakari jewelry.

Punjab

In Punjab, Teej is a very popular festival that people eagerly await and look forward to celebrating all year. A variety of events such as dances, beauty pageants, singing, drawing, mehendi and rangoli competitions are organized in small village fetes. One of traditional-folk dance forms that are very popular in these areas is the Gidda, which is performed only in the traditional outfit known as the Gidda. Much like the celebrations in the state of Rajasthan, Punjabi Teej celebrations include huge pop-up markets that sell everything from food, traditional clothing, Teej accessories like bangles, earrings, necklaces and traditional footwear called jooties.

Bihar

Bihari women take their Teej fashion quite seriously. Red is the staple color that women are supposed to sport during this time. As accessorizing plays a big part in their festive attire, a lot of women can be seen sporting their finest gold jewelry during these times. Women fast throughout this three day period and pray to deities for their husbands prosperity and long lives.

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