Teej Festival 2013
Teej is a very popular festival of India and all women in India celebrate this festival with great enthusiasm and joy. This festival comes in the starting of monsoon season, 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. People celebrate this festival in dedication to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
Types of Teej festival:
Hariyali Teej: Hariyali Teej is celebrated in Shukla Paksha and on this day, moon is worshiped by women with flowers, curd and milk.
Kajari Teej: This festival is celebrated in Krishna Paksha and women perform worship of neem tree.
Hartalika Teej: This festival comes in month of Bhadra and on this day, women keep ‘Nirjala Vrat’ for the welfare of their husbands.
Legends of Teej festival:
According to Hindu mythology, the main basis of Teej festival is that Lord Shiva accepted Parvati as his wife after atonement of 100 years in the month of Shravan. Lord Shiva realized devotion of Parvati in her 108th birth and got reunited.
Sawan Festival:
Teej festival is celebrated in starting of monsoon season, so it has great importance in the state of Rajasthan. This festival becomes more auspicious if it rains on the day of festival. In monsoon season, peacocks come out and dance in the rain and therefore, women also celebrate this day by singing and dancing in rain.
Teej Rituals:
Women follow certain customs on this festival. They perform fast for whole day and go to their parent’s house to perform pooja on this day. Parents-in-laws give gifts to women on the day before the Teej festival called Sinjara. All these rituals are considered to be very auspicious.
Teej Celebrations:
In Rajasthan, Teej festival is celebrated with extreme craze and joy. On this day, idol of Teej mata is decorated with new clothes and jewellery and taken out on this special occasion on the main streets of city. Many people wait for long on the streets to get a look of Teej mata. Many folk dancers and singers follow the parade of Teej mata and make the event more attractive.
Hartalika Teej 2013 Date: Sunday, 08 September
