Teej

Month : August
Place : North India
Famous For : Traditional Festival
Attractions : Fasting, Beautifully Dressed Women, Folk Songs, Dances, Sweets (Ghevar)

Teej is one of the most popular festival of Rajasthan. Celebrated all over India will great prompt & splendor, Teej is celebrated to idealize the Hindu god Shiva & his wife - godess Paravati. The festival of Teej marks the outbreak of the monsoon season which is generally called as "Sawan Festival". The festival is highly celebrated in India and is highly popular in Jaipur. The state of Rajasthan, Punjab, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh celebrates the festival at the arrival of monsoon after long summer season.

Teej Celebrations

Teej is celebrated with extreme joy and craze in Rajasthan. Many tourists flock the princely state to be part of Teej celebrations. A few days before the festival, the image of Goddess Parvati is repainted and beautifully decorated with fine clothes and jewelry. Idol of Teej Mata is taken out in the special Teej procession. Thousands of devotees wait on streets for hours to have a glimpse of Parvati Maa.

Number of artists like folk singers, dancers and other performers follow the Teej procession and becomes the main attraction. Apart from this, there are caparisoned elephants, bullock carts, and chariots.

Types of Teej

Hariyali Teej: Hariyali Teej falls in the Shukla Paksha of Shravana. On this day, women worship moon with milk, curd and flowers.

Kajari Teej: It falls on Krishna Paksh Tritiiya. On this day, women sing and dance and perform sacred pooja of neem.

Hartalika Teej: Hartalika Teej falls on the third day of the first fortnight of the month of 'Bhadra'. At the time of Hartalika Teej, women keep 'Nirjala Vrat' for well - being of her husband.

Importance of Teej Festival

Teej festival is an important festival. Two very vital factors govern its celebration. One is that it is a monsoon festival and the other relates to the most popular legend of Shiva-Parvati.

Legend of Teej

According to Hindu mythology, in the month of Shravan, Goddess Parvati reunited with Lord Shiva after a penance of hundred years. In her 108th birth, Lord Shiva realized her devotion for him and accepted her as his wife. This legend is said to be the basis of Teej celebrations.

Sawan Festival

Teej Festival heralds the beginning of monsoon season. It is celebrated in the month of Shravan which brings a great relief from the scorching heat of summers. Teej has special importance in the state of Rajasthan as it is celebrated in the rainy season which transforms the dry-parched lands of Rajasthan totally green. Teej becomes more auspicious and special if it rains on this day. With the arrival of monsoon, peacocks come out to dance while women enjoy themselves by swinging and dancing in the rain.