First Teej

Teej is an occasion of utmost devotion and love for the newly wed brides. Celebration of First Teej festival is of great importance for the newly wed couple. It is a moment for wives to express deep love and affection for their husband. Craze and excitement of the First Teej is quite apparent on their face as preparations for Teej begin well in advance.

First Teej Craze
A newly wed bride begins her first Teej preparations well in advance. The craze of the festival enchants her to buy new clothes, new jewelry and other fine accessories. Teej gives a second chance to beautify oneself like a new bride after marriage. Women wear their wedding dress and also wear heavy gold and diamond jewelry. Many women buy new saree or lehnga and jewelry for their first Teej. Henna applied to hands and feet covers almost half of the hands and legs. Many women also book parlors to beautify themselves and to look like a newly wed bride.

First Teej also brings in lot of excitement for young brides as they return to their parents' home to celebrate the auspicious occasion. She receives a royal treatment by everybody at home as it is First Teej after marriage. She performs all rituals at her parents home only.

Freedom from Household Work
Women who celebrate their first Teej are pampered by everybody. She is not allowed to do any household work on this day. Husband and other family members take extra care to make her feel extremely comfortable. Women keeping the fast for the first time are little apprehensive but as the time passes they totally indulge themselves in the festival celebrations. They perform all the Teej rituals very earnestly as it is their first Teej fast after marriage.

Some mother-in-law acts as a support system for their daughter-in-law. They take extra care of their beloved bahu and sometimes even encourage them to drink juice or a cold drink. She makes her take rest all day and advice her not to do any work.

First Teej Activities
To keep up memories of First Teej alive, women get their photos clicked. Sometimes, family members and even husbands make a special video of their wife performing all the first Teej rituals. Women are very happy to see their husband taking so much interest in such activities. First Teej become more special for ladies when their husband take them out for dinner. This makes them feel special of all.

First Teej Gifts
Woman celebrating the first Teej receives a lot of gifts from their parents, parents-in-law and loved ones. Husbands especially make sure that they gift something beautiful and memorable to their sweet wife. Some even pamper their wife with a gift of diamond or gold jewelry.

Parents-in-law gift their daughter-in-law 'Shrinjhara' or 'Sindhare' which is a part of auspicious Teej rituals. The word 'shrinjhara' has a very literal meaning that is adornment. Parents-in-law gift it to their daughter-in-law so that they can adorn themselves the way they want to. It consists of traditional laheria dress, lac bangles, henna, sindhur and sweets like ghewar. Some daughters-in-law observing fast also receive money from their father-in-law to buy anything of their choice. Sometimes, mother-in-law create an everlasting impression on their bahu by gifting the most special and dear thing of hers.

Parents and relatives usually present clothes, jewelry, dry fruits and other Teej special gifts to the newly wed bride.