Teej Gifts
Teej is a women centric festival and naturally gifts form a central theme of the event. The gifts given on Teej are all women assets. All married and engaged girls receive gifts from their parents and parents-in-law. They also receive gifts like jewelry and other precious items from their husband. These gifts symbolize love between a married couple. Women fasting for long secured lives and well-being of their husbands are rewarded by different gifts like designer clothes and enchanting jewelry. Sometimes, husbands take out their wives for dinner to make them feel happy after the moil of fasting.
Many days before the festive season, all the fabric shops display heavily embroidered designer clothes and the jewelry makers work come in full action. Competitive spirit prevails everywhere. When the occasion is near, whole market is beautifully decorated looking like a newly wed bride.
The most popular and extremely important traditional gifts of Teej are briefed below:
Baya
Baya is a traditional gift given to newly wed women on the occasion of Teej. It is given by mothers of newly wed girls on the day of the festival. Baya is considered very auspicious to gift to the women observing the fast. Baya is supposed to bring good luck for the families of the women observing the fast. The gift package usually includes dry fruits, mathris, new clothes, bangles, jewelry etc. As per the rituals, Baya thalis are circulated in the evening Puja ceremony.
Shrinjhara
Apart from the married women, Teej is celebrated with earnest devotion by the engaged girls also. They get Teej gifts from their future father-in-laws, a day before the festival. This traditional gift package is called Shrinjhara which is given to the unmarried girls. This traditional name Shrinjhara originated from a Hindi word Shringar meaning adornment. The gift pack includes Ghewar (sweet), Laheria dress (tie & dye fabric), Henna and Lac bangles.