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Teej (Festivals of India)



TEEJ: FACTS & FIGURES


Time of the year: First Week of August
Places to visit: Jaipur, Rajasthan
Duration: One or two days

TEEJ: THE FESTIVAL


Teej (Festivals of India) Festivals are the very essence of life for the people of Rajasthan. Every season is marked by a series of fairs and festivals except the summer months when the blazing sun scorches the earth. With the arrival of the monsoons the festival season is unleashed with renewed fervor. And the most important festival to herald the monsoons is Teej - reflecting the magic of the rainy season. Though celebrated primarily in Rajasthan, the women of Bihar and parts of Uttar Pradesh also undertake the ritual fast and prayer during Teej.

Peacocks dance in ecstasy, women rejoice by swinging on rope swings in gardens and lilting melodies heralding the festival of Teej echo all round. Teej is celebrated on the third day of the waxing moon in the month of Sawan (July-August). The festival of Teej reflects the magic of the monsoon. It marks the beginning of a series of fairs and festivals, which are celebrated throughout the autumn and winter months culminating in the spring festival of Gangaur. According to a local saying, Teej is the key to open the stock of festivals locked away for the summer after the spring festival.

TEEJ: CELEBRATIONS


The old tradition still continues. While Gangaur is celebrated in different ways in each of the regions of the state, the celebration of Teej remains exclusive to the Jaipur region. Teej holds a special place in the heart of the people of Jaipur as a time for rejuvenation and revival of spirits after the punishing summers. The festival is made into an even more memorable experience if it rains on this day. People pray for a cool shower at the time of the procession - for Teej without rain is like Christmas without snow.

Every young village girl of the region dreams of being in Jaipur for Teej and a man who wants to win her heart must make her dream come true. Hundreds of couples come to the city, singing and dancing, on bullock carts, camel carts, and open tractor-trailers. They ramble through the city buying knick-knacks and savoring the food. By afternoon the crowds begin to gather on the terraces in a bid to get a vantage viewpoint to see the procession pass by.

TEEJ: RITUALS


Teej is essentially a women's festival. It is believed that on this day goddess Parvati was united with Lord Shiva after a penance of a hundred years. The invocation of Parvati's blessings on this day results in continued marital bliss. Women dress up in all their finery to worship the goddess. Girls engaged to be married receive gifts from their future in-laws a day before the festival. The gift, called shrinjhara derived from the word shringar (adornment), consists of henna, lac bangles, a special dress of laheria (tie and dye fabric) and a sweet called ghewar.

Laheria and ghewar are traditionally associated with Teej. Days before the festival, main markets in the walled city of Jaipur wear a festive look and the textile shops stock a wide range of laheria garments and cloth. The women of the royal families wear a special variety of laheria in a pastel shade of blue called samandar (sea). Sweetshops do brisk business in ghewars. Rich families living outside Rajasthan order their ghewar to be flown in from Jaipur.

Young women can be seen getting the palms of their hands decorated with henna. Special henna motifs also called laheria and ghewar are applied to match the mood of Teej. Lilting songs - specific to the festival, are sung to accompany the application of henna, creating an aura of romance. It is a popular belief that the intensity of a man's love for his wife can be gauged from the color of henna on the wife's palm. The darker the henna, the more a man loves his wife.

During the time of the princely rule, the image of Parvati referred to, as Teej Mata was taken out for two days in a ceremonial procession. Now after the merger of the state, the image is still taken out in a procession organised by the Sawai Man Singh II Museum Trust and the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation.

A few days before the festival, the image is repainted and on the day of Teej, it is bedecked in a new dress and traditional jewelry and worshipped in the Zenana (the ladies' chamber in the City Palace) by the woman of the royal family. After this ritual is over, the image is brought out into the courtyard to join the procession. Thousands of spectators wait anxiously to catch a glimpse of the goddess. The strength of the crowd depends on the strength of the monsoon. A huge crowd of colorfully dressed villagers gathers on the terraces on both sides of the road.

At the auspicious moment decided by the priest, the procession is led out by the Nishan-ka-hathi (the elephant with the flag). The magnificent procession of caparisoned elephants, bullock carts, and chariots comes out of the Tripolia Gate. And then the much-awaited image of Teej Mata appears, mounted on the traditional palanquin- Takht-e-rawan. The crowd surges to catch a glimpse of the deity and seek blessings. As the procession moves out of vision, people start dispersing, returning to their villages to prepare for the next festival on the calendar.

TEEJ: REGIONAL CELEBRATIONS


Teej is especially celebrated in Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan. However, people of Bihar and parts of Uttar Pradesh also consider this festival an auspicious one. Though the revelry and public participation is absent here, Lord Shiva and his wife Parvati are worshipped by married women who keep a 24-hour fast for the long life of their husband. The fast is a strict one during which the women are not allowed to have even a sip of water. An offering of traditional sweets and fruits is made and women pray for the long life and prosperity of their husband.

TEEJ: PLACES TO VISIT


Jaipur in the state of Rajasthan is the only place to witness the festivities and celebrations of the festival.