Significance
This is a hindu festival observed by the women in the north indian states like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. Women wear colorful attires on this auspicious day of Sindhara Teej and adorn their hands and feets with henna and wear colorful bangles. The women sing devotional songs and offer prayers to Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva to celebrate this festival. This is a day when women express their happiness and pray to Goddess Parvati and God Shiva to seek their blessings.
History
As mentioned in the Hindu scriptures, this is a day when Goddess Parvati was reunified with Lord Shiva. It is said that she took 108 births on the earth and had to go through a lot of hurdles in her life and had to do a tough Tapasya (penance). There are some myths regarding this stating that she failed to have Lord Shiva as her husband till her 107th incarnated form. And later, in her108 incarnated form, she succeeds to have Lord Shiva as her husband as he realisized Goddess Parvati’s love and devotion for him and accepted her as his wife. And by that time this moment was considered as highly auspicious for the women and it is claimed that those who worships Goddess Parvati on this day will be blessed with a happy and a prosperous married life. Nirjala vrat is observed by the women on this day and they spend three continous sleepless nights during the festival. The day of sindhara teej signifies the suffering through which Goddess Parvati had to go through.
Determination of Date
The festival of Sindhara Teej falls on Shukla Tritiya in the month of Shravan and it usually falls on two days before the date of Nag Panchmi. And the date of this festival varies every year. If this festival of Sindhara Teej falls on two days of Shravan month, then it is celebrated on the second day when Akshaya Tritiya is said to be connected with Chaturthi. And in case if it doesn’t falls on any day, then it is celebrated on the first day of the Shravan month.
How to Celebrate
The women used to worship Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva with complete devotion and dedication on this auspicious day of Sindhara Teej. All the married women pray for the longtivity and well being of their partner. While, unmarried women worships Goddess Parvati to find themselves a perfect soulmate, the one with whom they can share their entire life. This festival also marks the arrival of moonson providing us the relief from that heat of the summers that bothers us all and also rejuvenated the fields. This festival is also called by the name of Hariyali Teej as the rains signifies greenery and beauty all over the country. People use to wear green colored clothes to celebrate this festival in the true sense.
The festival of Teej holds great importance in Rajasthan .however, it is celebrated with complete dedication and enthusiasm in the north indian states as well like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Bihar. All the women and the young girls dress up in colorful attires like green, red and yellow color and they use to adorn their hands and feet with beautiful mehendi designs, people hung jhoolas from big trees that are highly decorated and the women sit on these jhulas and sing and dance. Some married women observes nirjala vrat for the a wonderful marital bliss. Impressive delicacies are prepared and offered to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati on this festival of Sindhara Teej.
As per the tradition, some married women visits their parental home to celebrate the festival during the first year of their marriage. All the women wear new clothes gifted by their parents and then gathers together, observes fast and offers prayers to Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva. The women those who are engaged also recieved gifts like clothes, jewelry, bangles, mehendi, cosmetics and sweets from their in- laws which resembles their future married life. There is a continous three days celebration of this festival in the region of Rajasthan. There is a tradition of decorating the idol of goddess with red and gold garments including jewelry and garlands and the idol then is taken out on the streets and the women chant and sings folk songs. Devotees in large numbers waits on the route to get a glimpse of the Goddess Parvati. The performance of folk singers, dancers, and other performers along with caparisoned elephants, camels, bullock carts and chariots makes the celebration of this festival meaningful and amazing. The tourists from other countries also visit the cities to enjoy the festival’s celebrations and rituals and participates in the events.
Teej ‘melas’ or fairs are also the most important part of this festival. These melas or fairs are organised in villages and towns where thousands of people gathers to enjoy this great festival. People arrange special music and folk dance programs to celebrate and enjoy this festival. This great festival of Hariyali Teej is also celebcrated in nepal with great enthusiasm and devotion where people dress up in colourful attires and decorate themselves with jewelry and apply henna on their hands and feet and visits the famous Pashupati Nath temple. Worshipping the Nyagrodha tree or Vat Vriksha is another important ritual associated with this festival that is considered highly auspicious as the branches for this tree is the symbol of knowledge and devotees worship this tree to gain knowledge. Celebrating Teej is an opportunity to forget all your worries and thank to god for a wonderful and perfect life.