Teej is one of the greatest and special festival for women of Hindu religion. Women celebrate this festival in the hope of getting a husband like Shiva (The God of Hindu).
It is believed that a goddess Parvati has got a Shiva as her husband after devotional prayer. This festival takes place on September (Bhadra- Nepali month). It is celebrated by both married and unmarried women.
Married women follow this ritual for the prosperity and long-life of her husband while unmarried women take fasting to get a prosperous and good husband.
On the day of Teej, women keep fasting and visit the God ‘Shiva’ temple nearby them to worship. In Nepal, Pashupatinath is a very famous temple of Shiva where many tourists and Hindu followers come to visit or worship.
On Teej you can see a crowd of women on a queue to worship Shiva and pray for well-being of their husband and prosperity, and unmarried women praying for good husband.
Besides this, women get free time from their household or any work. On this day women get national holiday to celebrate this festival. They get a chance to get closer to another feminine.
Women wear red sari and beautiful jewelry and ornaments on their body to decorate them. It is also a festival of red because women wear red on this day and celebrate it.
Women gather together and share their happiness and sorrow with each other. They celebrate this festival singing and dancing together.
Hartalike Teej has its own importance and religious belief in Hindu culture. It has mainly three parts which last up to 3 days. The first day is called ‘Daar khani din” which means a day to eat delicious food.
It is like a feast for women from her brother. On this day a brother go to his married sister’s house to bring her to his home and make her delicious food items to feed her.
It is more special for married women because they have to leave their house and go to her husband’s house after marriage so that it is also like a union of brother and sister after a long-time that’s why they get more special treatment than unmarried ones as they are always on their parents’ house.
If you are from western country and you are reading this article you may be confused what I am trying to say, so let me clear your confusion that in Nepal, every children lives with their parents and a son takes care of his parents when they get old, and they stay together while a daughter has to leave her house and move to her husband’s house after marriage.
That’s why married women get special treatment but it doesn’t mean that a ‘Teej’ is only for married women, it is for all women in Hindu culture. A reason it is more special for married women only because they rarely have a chance to visit their brother’s house.
After eating delicious food like a feast on first day, then women take fasting on second day. It is a day where women do not eat a single grain and drink not even a drop of water.
It is called a ‘Nirjala Barta’ which means women do fasting without eating anything even a drop of water. It is a belief that fasting on this day a girl can get a good husband and, for married women, its bring well-being and prosperity to her husband and family.
The last day of ‘Hartalika Teej’ is known as ‘Rishi Panchami’. On this day, women complete the rituals paying homage to seven saints or sage, offer prayer to the deities, and take a holy bath with red mud found under the sacred Datiwan tree along with its leaves.
This process of ritual has a belief that women will be acquitted from their sins and their soul will be purified which makes their prayer fulfill after this final stage of ‘Hartalika Teej’.
The main purpose of this festival is for the longevity of men and theirs prosperity which is celebrated by women. Married women pray and do fasting for the healthy long-life and prosperity of their husband while unmarried women do fasting and pray for well, prosperous, loving and caring husband for their life.
By Sanam Gurung