It is celebrated by women with much fanfare in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Jharkhand where they wear new clothes and sing folk songs
This picture hs been used for representational purposes. Picture/AFP
Come the month of Shravan and a string of festivals are celebrated. One of the significant festivals of the month, Hariyali Teej falls on Thursday, July 23. It is celebrated by women with much fanfare in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand. They wear new clothes and sing folk songs that are significant to the festival.
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Hariyali Teej, as the name suggests, is also the time when farmers sow their crops. The festival is also known as Sawan Teej as it is celebrated during the monsoon.
Significance
Hariyali Teej is dedicated to the reunion of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, who is known as Teej Mata. As green is said that the colour of the festival, women wear clothes and bangles of green colour and worship Goddess Parvati for a blissful married life. In some states, women gather together and listen to the folklore of the deities.
Hariyali Teej is a part of the three major festivals celebrated in North India. It is also known as 'Choti Teej' and 'Shravana Teej'. The other major festivals are Kajri Teej or Badi Teej, that is celebrated 15 days after Hariyali Teej and Hartalika Teej.
Rituals
Apart from dressing up in green clothes bangles, women also tie jhula or swings in their courtyard on the day of Hariyali Teej. The festival is also celebrated in Punjab as 'Teeyan' where women apply mehendi and dress for the occasion. They also sing special folk songs and dance on its tunes.
It is also celebrated in Haryana where women pray for the longevity and well-being of their family members. Married women visit their parents' house, from where they receive 'Sindhara', which is a basket of gifts such as bangles and home-made sweets. Gifts are also exchanged between families.
Food
Like every other festival, food is an integral part of Hariyali Teej too. A variety of sweets such as ghevar, jalebi, balushali, shakkar para, and other delicacies are prepared and savoured by revellers on this day.
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