Teej festival (सुहागनों का पर्व तीज त्यौहार): The third day of Shukla Paksha of Shravan month is called Shravani Teej. It is also known as Hariyali Teej in North India. Teej festival is especially a festival of women. This fast is observed by unmarried girls to get a suitable groom and married women for their happy marriage.
Hartalika Teej fasting has special significance in Hinduism. This fast is observed every year on Tritiya Tithi of Shukla Paksha of Bhadrapada month. There is a law to worship Lord Shiva and Mother Parvati on this day. It is believed that fasting on this day brings happiness to married life and children. Let’s know about fasting, the method of worship …
Teej festival significance
The festival of Teej is celebrated with great enthusiasm and gaiety across the country. The festival of Teej is known by many different names in India. In the regions of North India like Bundelkhand, Jhansi, Rajasthan, etc., the name “Hariyali Teej” is celebrated with great enthusiasm and pomp.
In eastern Uttar Pradesh, Banaras, Gorakhpur, Jaunpur, Sultanpur, etc. districts, it is celebrated as “Kajli Teej”. It is also known as Sindhara, Hariyali, or Hartalika (Haritalika) Teej, Budhi Teej, Madhusnava III, or Choti Teej.
Different names of Teej festival
Hartalika/Hariyali Teej –
There are two reasons for calling it Hartalika Teej. First, ‘Har’ is the name of Lord Bholenath and since Maa Parvati had kept this brat to get Shiva as her husband, so this brat was named “Hartalika Teej” and second, Parvati’s friend was her. Every tax from the father and the state was taken to the forest. ‘Harit’ means to abduct and “Talika” means friend.
Kajali/Kajari Teej –
Teej comes in the form of revitalization and revitalization after the scorching summer season. At the end of summer, this festival is known as ‘Kajali’ or ‘Kajjali Teej’ after seeing the black clouds moving in the sky.
Budhi Teej –
This festival is also called Budhi Teej because on this day the mother-in-law gives suhagi to her daughter-in-law. If seen, Teej is a festival of gathering for women. On this day, women keep fast to wish for the desired groom and happy married life. Newly married women celebrate this festival in their maternal home.
After marriage, the first Sawan girls celebrate in the maternal house. Therefore, on this festival, he is called from his in-laws to Pihar i.e. maternal home.
In this, the mother sends gifts and gifts to her married daughter, especially clothes (lehariya), mehndi, lac bangles, and sweets especially gunjiya, ghevar, fanny, etc., which the daughter-in-law, after worshiping, hands over to the mother-in-law. If there is no mother-in-law, she gives it to elders than herself, that is, to sister-in-law or an old lady.
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Mythological significance of Teej festival
Sawan Teej has mythological significance. There is a religious legend on this, according to which Mother Parvati took 108 births to get Lord Shankar as her husband. Shiva was pleased with his severe penance and knowing Parvati’s immense devotion, accepted her as his wife.
Since then it is believed that by observing this fast, Goddess Parvati is pleased and blesses the husbands with long life. There is a law to renounce three things on Teej – deceit, lying, and misbehavior with the husband, but blasphemy.
The festival of Teej really brings true joy to women. On this day, they dress up like a bride wearing colorful clothes, carrying ornaments. The newlyweds also wear their wedding dress on this day. The main colors of Teej are pink, red, and green.
At this festival, all the married women especially do makeup. A large number of women and girls apply henna on their hands and apply Alata on their feet. In Rajasthan, it is called ‘Mehndi-Mandana’.
Along with Mehndi, swings also have special significance in Teej. A few days before Teej, swings are made on the branches of trees, in the ceilings of the roof of the house, or in the verandah, and the ladies, with their friends and friends, swing by singing folk songs, kajri, etc. And while singing Kajri, she swings a swing with her friends and the whole atmosphere becomes pleasant.
Teej Puja and Vrat
To wish for their happy married life, women observe this fast. Although this festival is celebrated for three days, due to lack of time, people celebrate it on a single day. Teej is celebrated on the third day of Shukla Paksha in the month of Sawan (July-August). On the day of Shravan Shukla Tritiya (Teej), Bhagwati Parvati met Lord Shiva after a hundred years of penance.
On this auspicious occasion, the fortunate women wear new red clothes, apply mehndi, do sixteen makeup and start worshiping Lord Shiva and Mother Parvati at the auspicious time. In this puja, the idols of Shiva-Parvati are duly worshipped and then the story of Hartalika Teej is heard. All the items of honey are offered to Goddess Parvati.
This holy festival was first performed by Mata Parvati, daughter of King Himwan, to receive Lord Shiva as her husband and Lord Shiva accepted her as a drink after being pleased with her tenacity and worship. Hartalika Puja is performed during Pradosh period. Pradosh Kaal means the meeting time of day and night.
Take a bath in the evening and wear clean and bright clothes. After that, worship Parvati and Shiva with golden (if it is not possible, then clay) idols and worship them according to the law. Make the idols of Shiva-Parvati and Ganeshji with your own hands from sand, or black soil.
- After this, keep all the ingredients of the honey in the box of honey, then offer these items to Parvati Ji.
- Offer dhoti and lingerie to Shivaji and then give the suhaag material to a brahmin and dhoti-angocha to a brahmin. In this way, listen to Hartalika Brat Katha by worshiping Parvati and Shiva. Then first do the aarti of Ganesha, then to Shiva, and then to Goddess Parvati. After that, circumambulate the Lord.
- Offer vermilion to Goddess Parvati after morning worship after doing night awakening. Offer cucumber-halwa and then break the fast by eating cucumber, at the end collect all the ingredients and immerse them in a holy river or a pool.
Suhag material for Parvati Maa- Mehndi, bangle, beech, kajal, bindi, vermilion, comb, Mahour, suhag puda available in the market, etc. Shriphal, Kalash, Abir, Sandalwood, Ghee-oil, Camphor, Kumkum, Deepak, Curd, Sugar, Milk, Honey for Panchamrit.
Ingredients for Hartalika Teej Puja- Wet black clay or sand. Bel Patra, Shami leaf, Banana leaf, Datura fruit and flower, Acawan flower, Tulsi, Manjari, Janev, clothes, all kinds of fruits and flower leaves, Phulhara (decorated with natural flowers).
What to do at the Hariyali Teej festival?
- First of all, women gather in a garden or temple and decorate the idol of the mother with silk clothes and ornaments.
- Make the shape of a hemisphere and place the idol of the mother in the middle and worship the mother.
- One woman should narrate the story from amongst all the women, listen carefully to the rest of the stories and meditate on the husband in the mind, and wish for the long life of the husband.
Teej Mela –
Teej mela is also organized in every corner of India on the occasion of Teej. Most of the Teej fair is adorned in Jaipur i.e. Pink City in Rajasthan.
On this day huge fairs are organized near various lakes and gardens of Indian Cities. Various types of swings and chaat dumplings, sweet shops are set up.
In the evening, almost all the married ladies and girls come to see the fair wearing a lot of makeup. She eats, drinks, dances, sings and swings, and sings songs of Sawan. The beauty of red-red hands and bangles with henna is indescribable.
Vrat and Udyapan of Teej festival
Goddess Parvati is worshiped on this day and a fast is kept, which is called Swarggauri Vrat. This fast is observed continuously for 16 years and then Udyapan takes place in the last 16th year.
Its worship material also varies, it consists of 16 types of flowers, fruits, and sweets. In order to dedicate it to God and while doing Udyapan, in the last 16th year, the fast is completed by giving Saubhagya Pitari and cow to the best Brahmin. By doing this fast one gets eternal good fortune, happiness, and peace. Enemies are suppressed, Shiva Lok is attained.
Hariyali Teej festival is a festival very similar to Karva Chauth. Just as on Karva Chauth, there is a law for married couples to worship Bayana for their mother-in-law, similarly, in Hariyali Teej also, mother-in-law offers Sawan to her daughter-in-law with the blessings of unbroken honey. This means that the mother-in-law gives the things of honey to her daughter-in-law as an omen.