Teej

Teej festival is the biggest Hindu festival of Nepalese women, which is celebrated all over Nepal. The festival generally falls in August or early in the September. Mainly, the festival is dedicated to Goddess Parvati, who was the wife of Lord Shiva. During this Teej festival, married women take fast for the long and healthy life of their husbands as well as pray for the prosperity. At the same occasion, unmarried girls take fast to get good husband in future. Both Married and unmarried women celebrate Teej with love and dedication. During the festival women are dressed in red Sarees with gold ornaments from head to toe.

On this special occasion, people invite their married daughters to their home to celebrate the festival together. It is also an opportunity for the women to go their parents’ house. Teej is mainly celebrated for 3 days, which are Dar Khane Din, Fasting Day and Rishi Panchami.

On the first day (Dar Khane Din) women gather together in a place wearing the beautiful red clothes. They sing folk songs, dance together and have the special food called Dar. Normally it is celebrated with relatives and close friends just before the fasting day. However, these days women gather and start

celebrating many days prior to the main festival, Teej. Nepalese women from all over the world have started celebrating the festival in their respective regions. Small events/program are organized to celebrate this auspicious occasion even in the foreign countries.

Second day is the main Teej festival day, women spend the whole day without taking any food or water. In Kathmandu, thousands of women visit Pashupatinath Temple to worship Lord Mahadev. Respectively all Shiva temples around the country have a long queue to worship Lord Mahadev and seek blessings. At the end of the day, they eat some fresh fruits and drink Kada Pani (crystallized sugar water).

Chathurthi is the gap day between Teej and Rishi Panchami. On this day women wake up early in the morning, they take bath and worship the Goddess Parvati before taking any food.

The last day of the Teej (Rishi Panchami), women wake up early in the morning, take a holy bath, clean their teeth with Dattiun steam. In the rural areas, women go to the nearest river to take the holy bath on this day. After cleansing, they worship by offering food, money and various other offerings to seven Rishis of Hindu pantheon with a pure soul. They use Basil and Bael leaves (Aegle marmelos) to worship. After finishing Puja women take food.