Teej 2079

Teej is one of the most important festival which is celebrated by Hindu women in Nepal and all around the world. It is celebrated every year in month of Bhadra (August - September). Teej is the one and only festival which is meant for women and is observed by married women and unmarried girls. Teej is a special festival in which women, girls perform fasting and offer prayers in the name of lord Shiva and goddess Parvati. It is believed that Parvati did fasting along with a wish of getting lord Shiva as her husband which got fulfilled so Teej can also be taken as the festival to be celebrated in the name of Shiv and Parvati. Teej is also a festival of red color as most of the women wear red saree during this festival.

In Nepal, Teej is named as Haritalika Teej which is quite different in compare with Indian teej celebration as it is celebrated in a different way. Teej is all about faith, devotion and wish of women towards Shiva for the long life of her husband and family well- being, happiness Through her fasting she wish for husband and children. It has three separate days which got their own way of enjoying and objectives.Teej has three different days which interconnected with each other and share same ideology and values. Three special days that are followed in teej celebration are: Dar Khane Din, Teej and Rishi Panchami.

Dar Khane Din:

Dar - special food Items, khane - to eat, Din- day so it's a day to to have a special food item that can either be eaten in her brother's house (maita) or of her own house. It is the previous day of teej in which all women of the women stay till midnight and have Dar before 12 AM and even they sleep. Dar is a mixed food such as Kheer, different pickles, chicken, mutton, pulao, paneer, sweet, fruits and so on. Dar is basically an energy provider to gain strength for the next day for fasting for the whole day even without water.

HaritalikaTeej Brata(fasting day) :

                                                         https://youtu.be/ooMeMvww2oA

The main day in which women woke up early in the morning, take a bath and visit nearly Shiv temple to perform Puja. At the day time women gather together to sing and dance in teej songs. Ritual of singing and dancing might have been made to enjoy as well to divert attention from hunger to enjoyment. Teej fasting is done even without single drop of water if possible but it's not compulsory to do so. It is believed that doing such fasting goddess Parvati wishfully got Shiva as her husband and since that time people started to worship Shiva for the long life of husband, children. Unmarried girls perform fasting with a wish of getting good husband in the future.

Rishi Panchami:

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It is the last and final day of teej which which comes after one day gap of teej which is day to bath at any river, pond or own house along with prayers, bath with bush named Dattiyun, count stone pebbles with prayer chant and other pujas. Rishi Panchami is meant to worship in the name of Sapta Risis (seven sage) who has devoted themselves for the welfare of the people and the society so, in this day women express gratitude, appreciation and respect for Rishis.

We could see vast changes in the process of celebrating Teej if we compare it with past and present time. Though Teej might have hurt the sentiments of the women of poor and middle- class families as they could not be able to wear luxurious sarees and ornament, teej was with simplicity along with traditional values, importance but now it has just become a trend to wear designer sarees and gold and celebration in lavish styles in any party palace or hotel. Some people has started to celebrate teej one month before the time period of Teej. We can just hope and wish that teej to be celebrated in a simple way which it used to be celebrated in the past days without destroying its ethical values.

Conclusion:

Teej is based on faith and devotion of both married and unmarried women towards Shiva for their wish to be true. Married women believe that her fasting for a day in teej could beneficial for the long life of her husband and children whereas unmarried has a faith that she would have a good life and a good husband. Last but not the least, Happy Teej to everyone who is performing fasting as well as who are not fasting. Hope everyone to be happy, healthy and safe.