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Teej 2017 Vrat Dates - Hartalika Teej

Dharm

Author: Priyanka Mahajan | Last Updated: Mon 3 Apr 2017 12:17:20 PM

Teej is a very special festival celebrated particularly by the womenfolk all over India. Also, known as the Sawan festival, Teej is celebrated with lots of excitement and enthusiasm by almost every married women in India. The festival of Teej is devoted to the eternal couple - Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Teej falls in the months of July, August and September usually, which is the time when monsoon is at its peak in India. This is the reason that Teej is also called 'the Sawan festival'. Shravan month (July-September) brings with it the monsoon. The monsoonal rains give a great relief from the summer season's heat to everyone. Most importantly monsoonal rains convert the dry lands into greener ones and that's why Teej is considered very auspicious in Rajasthan. Jaipur is that city where Teej is best celebrated with the huge fairs, processions etc. creating a colourful and cheerful atmosphere. It is also a very good symbol, if it rains, on the day of Teej.

Three kinds of Teej are celebrated, namely Hartalika Teej, Hariyali and Kajari Teej . Different rituals are performed on each Teej festival. In the life of every woman, who celebrates this festival, these rituals and customs hold a lot of significance. The significance of each Teej and the main rituals performed are mentioned below:

Haryali Teej

The Hariyali Teej 2017 will be celebrated on July 26. This Teej comes on Shukla Tritiya in the Shravan month. The day marks the beginning of monsoon and indicates it as being the symbol of love and happiness. Hariyali Teej is associated with good agriculture and lot of greenery. It is celebrated in a magnificent way in the famous temple of Vrindavan- the Banke Bihari Temple. The followers of this festival worship the divine pair of Lord Krishna and Radha. In some parts of India, the women also worship the moon.

Kajari Teej

The date for Kajari Teej in 2017 is August 10. This Teej is celebrated on Krishna Paksha Tritiya day i.e, on the third day of the Shravan month. This Teej is most popularly celebrated in the Bundi district of Rajasthan. There, this Teej is celebrated on the third day of Krishna Paksh. Bhadra month. On this Teej, the whole community together, performs the neem pooja and then a grand procession carrying the beautiful idol of Goddess Parvati is undertaken by the devotees with great fervor.

Hartalika Teej

The Hartalika Teej date in 2017 is August 24. This Teej falls on the third day of the first fortnight of Bhadra month in Shukla Paksha It is the most important Teej and continues for three days. Hartalika Teej is on the second day, when every woman observe fast or the Nirjala vrata for the goodness of her husband. Visiting temples followed with singing and dancing, forms a very important part of this day.

The story behind Teej

In the month of Shravan, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati reunited after almost a period of hundred long years. It was on the 108th birthday of Goddess Parvati that Lord Shiva understood her love and devotion towards him and accepted her as his wife. This story is behind the celebration of Teej festival.

Some of the important Teej rituals

The married women return back to their parents’ home for celebrating this festival. Also, it is believed that it is highly fruitful for every married as well as engaged women to receive gifts from her mother and father-in-law on this day. The engaged women get a special gift pack from their in laws, also known as Shridhara containing henna or Mehendi, bangles, a special dress and ghewar, a kind of sweet dish.

The first important ritual is applying henna on hands. Being one of the most beautiful traditions, it holds a great place in the life of every married woman. It adds to all the happiness and enjoyment during the festival. It is said that the darker the colour of henna in the hands of a woman, the more she is loved by her husband. Many women are seen in markets applying henna on their hands with different designs, during this festival season.

The second ritual is beautifully dressing up by women. Women dress themselves like a new bride especially with a red, pink or a green colour dress. They also wear beautiful jewellery. The third important ritual is worshipping vata vriksha. The tree with its hanging branch reflects knowledge and is believed to be highly auspicious.

The fourth important ritual is observing Teej fast. The women observe fast and does not even take a sip of water. A whole day fast is kept by them. This fast is also known as the Nirjala vrata. The last important tradition is charming the Teej mata i.e. goddess Parvati. Different songs based on this festival are sung and everybody enjoy the colours of this festival.

Teej is a beautiful festival that is celebrated mainly by the women. Different events and programs will be organised in various parts of the country during Teej. Some events held Teej queen contests and women in large number participate in that to become the Teej queen. All this will again happen on this Hartalika Teej on large scale and people will enjoy the festival teej to a great extent.