Teej is a unique festival for women, Teej is mainly celebrated in Rajasthan, parts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar with both fasts and delicious feasts. Falling on the Hindu month of Shravan (August), it also celebrates the arrival of monsoon after a season of oppressive heat. "Teej" is a small red insect that comes out of the soil during rains.
Teej is celebrated with lots of joy and devotion. Religious processions, tough fasting, long swings decorated with flowers, girls dressed colorfully with scintillating jewellery, delicious preparations, songs and dance mark the joy of teej festival. During Teej newly married girls come to their parent's house to celebrate the festival. The image of Teej Mata i.e. Goddess Parvati is decorated beautifully with jewellery and new clothes.
After this women worship the Goddess. Then the images of Parvati are taken out for ceremonial processions. The processions are escorted by caparisoned camels, elephants and chariots drawn by horses. The dance and music that follow the procession add life to the festival.
Legend of Teej
The Spirit of Teej symbolizes "ideal marriage" highlighting the legend of Goddess Parvati uniting with Lord Shiva after a penance of over hundred years. It is believed that invocation of Parvati's blessings lead to marital bliss.
Rituals of Teej
Idols of Paravati are bedecked with new clothes, jewellery and worshiped. After a ceremonial worship at home, elephants are taken out in a ceremonial process escorted by camels, and horses. Women undergo fasts, sing folk songs and dance in the name of Goddess Parvati. It is a belief that unmarried women fasting will luckily find a suitable husband. Fasting married women will also find their husband more faithful and bonds of love strengthened.
Teej is celebrated in many parts of Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Rajasthan and Bihar. They worship Goddess Parvati. A day before this festival is celebrated as Sinjara wherein girls/ladies put on mehandi on their hands and eat ghewar/feeni and other sweets. On Teej, married women pray to Goddess Parvati for well being of their husbands. Idols of goddess Parvati are decorated and taken in a procession in the streets accompanied by singing, music, and dancing. Teej is also celebrated among the Hindu community in north India. In this area women are also given bangles and bindiss. Swings are also put on trees for the entertainment of young girls.