Teej - 'The festival of swings'

Teej - 'the festival of swings' is celebrated with gusto and fervor in various parts of India and Nepal. The festival of Teej commemorates the reunion of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Married women and young girls celebrate the festival with earnest devotion. Teej falls in the month of Sawan and brings great relax from the scorching summers. Many religious activities takes place at the time of Teej. Such rituals and customs of Teej forces people to become part of grand Teej celebrations.

Teej has many significant roles to play in one's life. Women observing Nirajara Vrat on Teej are said to be blessed with long and healthy life of their husband by Teej Mata Parvati. Various other customs and rituals of Teej make the festival more important. Teej gives a chance to women to express their love and devotion for their husband who in return present beautiful gifts to their wife as a token of love.

Significance of Teej

Rooted deep in Indian religious and cultural ethos - Teej plays a significant role in defining the true nature of relationship between a married couple. Besides, the festival provides much needed break to womenfolk from their daily household drudgery. Find out how Teej is significant in these and more ways to the women in India. 

The three types of Teej Festival are:

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. 

Religious Significance of Teej
Religious significance of Teej festival lies in devotion of Goddess Parvati for her husband Lord Shiva. It was on this day that the divine couple Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati reunited with each other after hundreds of years. Even today womenfolk commemorate this mythological event by observing 'Nirjara Vrat' for the well-being and long-life of their husband. 

Climatic Significance
Teej celebrates the advent of monsoon season. Teej coincides with monsoon season and thus create a greater impact for its celebration. Taking full advantage of the beautiful climate at this time women enjoy themselves by swinging, singing and dancing in rain. 

Break from Daily Humdrum of Life
Teej celebration has great significance for womenfolk as it gives them their much needed break from the daily humdrum of life. For married women it also brings a chance to visit their parents house and relive childhood memories. No wonder, women celebrate the festival with great mirth and enthusiasm. They pay special attention to their appearance and deck themselves in beautiful clothes and fine jewelry. Women also apply intricate patterns of mehndi on their hands and feet. 

Strengthening Relationships
One of the foremost significance of Teej is that it helps in strengthening relationship between married couples. Women who observe fast for the long life of their husband in earnest devotion feel closer and more committed to their husband. While watching their wife straining themselves, husbands feel more special. They reciprocate by being more loving and caring towards their wife. Husbands usually express themselves by presenting gifts to their wife and being more sensitive towards their doting wives.

Teej Festival

Teej festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm and devotion by the women in India. Since Teej fall at the outbreak of the monsoons, it is also popularly known as the 'Sawan Festival'. Teej is usually celebrated in the month of July-August. Festival of Teej is dedicated to the divine couple - Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Though Teej is celebrated at various places in India and abroad, major Teej celebrations takes place in the highly cultural city of Jaipur. Here day-long processions and celebrations create a vivid atmosphere. 

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. 

Legends 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.

Teej Rituals
At the time of Teej, certain rituals and customs are followed by women so as to be blessed by Goddess Parvati. Married women return back to their parents house to celebrate the festival of Teej. It is considered very auspicious for married and engaged women to receive Teej gifts from their parents-in-law and to be parents-in-law. Future in-laws of engaged girls gift them 'Shrinjhara' (a gift pack) which consists of henna, lac bangles, a special laheria dress and ghewar (a sweet dish). Other gifts are also received by women from their relatives and in-laws. 

Ritual of Teej Henna
Applying henna to one's hands and feet is a special and most beautiful tradition of Teej. Special Mehndi designs are applied to match the mood of the festival. Women can be seen in the markets getting their palms decorated with henna. It is said, "the darker the henna, the more a woman is loved by her husband and in-laws". Sometimes, women also hide name of their husband in the mehndi design which later becomes part of the search game. Husbands search out their name and gift something to their beloved wife. 

Tradition of Adorning Oneself
Women wear colorful clothes and gold-diamond jewelry to look like a new bride at the time of Teej. Some women even visit beauty parlors to look different on the special occasion of Teej. Many women especially the newly weds wear their wedding dress on the day. Most prominent colors of Teej are red, pink and green. 

Tradition of Vat Vriksha
Another important ritual is to worship Nyagrodha tree or Vat Vriksha. The tree is considered highly auspicious with its hanging branches reflecting knowledge. Women tie swings to the Vat Vriksha and dance while enjoying the showers of rain. 

Tradition of Teej Fasting
Women both married and unmarried observe Teej fast in which they do not even take a sip of water. They keep a 24-hour long fast as it is believed that the invocation of Parvati's blessings on this day results in continued marital bliss. 

Tradition of Worshiping Teej Mata
Charmingly decorated idol of Goddess Parvati is kept at the center of the place where women gather to offer Teej prayers. Different Teej songs are sung praising Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Women dance merrily on various Teej and sawan songs and enjoy the festive mood.