Ramesh Sarraf Dhamora
The festival of Teej is celebrated on the third day (Tritiya) of the bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha) in the month of Shravan. It is a festival dedicated to women. During the month of Sawan (monsoon), when nature is draped in a verdant green mantle, the hearts of women dance with joy, much like the peacock. Swings are hung from the branches of trees. In Eastern Uttar Pradesh, it is celebrated as ‘Kajli Teej’. This fast holds great significance for married women. A celebration of faith, exuberance, beauty, and love, it marks the reunion of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Due to the lush greenery all around, it is known as ‘Hariyali Teej’. On this occasion, women enjoy swinging, sing folk songs, and revel in joy.
This festival, celebrating beauty and love and observed with deep faith, holds immense importance for women, especially newlyweds. It is celebrated with great enthusiasm primarily in North India, including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand. According to tradition, newlywed women observe their first fast at their maternal home. Swings are decorated, and folk songs are sung to mark the occasion. Fairs are held in many parts of the country, and processions featuring the idol of Goddess Parvati are taken out.
During the monsoon season, specifically in the month of Shravan, rain showers fall across the country, and lush greenery is visible everywhere. Nature seems to sway with joy in this verdant embrace, as if the Earth itself is extending its green arms to welcome everyone. Followers of the Hindu faith regard Shravan as the month of Lord Shiva and offer prayers to Him. Kanwariyas, pilgrims, fetch water from various rivers and ponds across the country to perform the ritual bathing (Abhishek) of Lord Shiva. The cycle of festivals, which pauses after Gangaur, resumes once again with Teej in the month of Shravan. The month of Shravan brings special joy for women. Most of the folk festivals falling in this month are celebrated primarily by them.
The very arrival of the month of Shravan heralds the approach of these festivities. All of creation appears drenched in the wondrous beauty of the season. This is an occasion that deepens the unwavering faith of the Indian people. The very name ‘Hariyali’, meaning greenery, indicates the festival’s connection to trees, plants, and the environment. It is a celebration of life and a festival dedicated to nature. On this occasion, women also pray for a bountiful harvest.
During the month of Sawan, folk festivals such as Sinjara, Teej, Nag Panchami, and the Mondays of Sawan (Sawan Somvar) are celebrated with great enthusiasm. Hariyali Teej, celebrated during Shravan, is a festival of faith, love, beauty, and exuberance. Teej is primarily considered a women’s festival and symbolizes their cultural traditions. Celebrated during the month of Sawan, this festival signifies prosperity, happiness, and progress in the marital lives of couples. Teej is a significant festival celebrated across the length and breadth of India, particularly with great joy and fervour in the northern regions.
During Shravan, a verdant blanket of greenery spreads across the landscape, filling hearts with delight. The month of Sawan brings a unique sense of merriment and enthusiasm. The festival of Teej arrives amidst the pleasant weather of Shravan. The third day (Tritiya) of the bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha) of the Shravan month is known as Shravani Teej. In North India, it is also known as Hariyali Teej.
According to religious belief, Goddess Parvati observed this fast to attain Lord Shiva as her husband. Pleased by her penance, Lord Shiva accepted her as his wife. It is believed that on the day of Shravan Shukla Tritiya, after a hundred years of penance, Goddess Parvati succeeded in winning Lord Shiva as her husband. In accordance with this belief, women worship Goddess Parvati. Just as mehndi adorns their hands, a verdant mantle spreads across nature. Witnessing this breathtaking beauty spontaneously evokes a melodious resonance within, making the heart dance with delight. During this time, the showers of the monsoon season drench nature completely. Women observe a fast during Sawan Teej. Unmarried girls do so in the hope of finding a suitable groom, while married women observe it to ensure a happy marital life.
Applying henna, wearing bangles, swinging on swings, and singing folk songs hold special significance during Teej. On the day of the festival, swings are set up in open spaces, on the branches of large trees, on rooftops, or in verandas, where women enjoy swinging. Fairs are also organized in many places on the day of Hariyali Teej.
In Rajasthan, young women who are betrothed receive a gift from their future in-laws a day prior to the festival. This gift is locally known as ‘Sinjara’. The Sinjara package typically includes items such as henna, lac bangles, a special Lehariya outfit, and the sweet known as Ghevar. Married women also receive a Sinjara from their parents’ home, which is handed over to their mother-in-law after the rituals. There is also a tradition in Rajasthan of inviting newlywed women from their in-laws’ homes to their parents’ homes during the month of Sawan.
On the occasion of Teej, young women sing songs while applying henna patterns to their hands, creating an atmosphere filled with festive adornment. A key feature of this festival is women decorating their hands with intricate henna designs. In Rajasthan, married women apply henna to both their hands and feet, a practice known as Mehndi Mandna. On this day, Rajasthani women pray for the return of their husbands, who may be away in distant lands, in time for the festival. This longing is often expressed in their folk songs. In the villages of Rajasthan, girls used to play with dolls (Gudda-Guddi) but would stop doing so starting from the day of Teej. Consequently, village girls would gather to immerse their old dolls in a nearby river, pond, or johad, a traditional water body. This ritual was known as Guddi Bahavna.
Women observe this fast to pray for a happy married life. On this day, devotees observe a fast and perform Shodashopachara worship, a ritual involving sixteen specific steps, before idols of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati crafted from sand. This observance continues throughout the night. Women dress in beautiful attire and decorate their homes. Subsequently, the night is spent in vigil, accompanied by the singing of auspicious songs. Women who observe this fast are believed to attain happiness and marital bliss akin to that of Goddess Parvati. The arrival of Teej coincides with the onset of the monsoon season. The sky becomes overcast with dark clouds, and as the rain showers fall, everything takes on a fresh, new appearance. Against this backdrop, the Hariyali Teej or Kajli Teej festival holds deep significance in Indian folk culture.
In modern times, however, these traditions have largely become things of the past. In Rajasthan, it is believed that the cycle of festivals pauses after Gangaur and resumes on the day of Teej. The festive season, commencing with Teej, continues until the next Gangaur. This has given rise to a popular saying in Rajasthan: “Teej tyauhara bavdi, le dubi Gangaur” (Teej ushers in the festive season, while Gangaur brings it to a close).
Article by:
Ramesh Sarraf Dhamora
