Hariyali Teej Celebration With Indian Rituals
What is Hariyali Teej?
Hariyali Teej is a festival in which fasts are kept by Indian women. It is popular in both the married and unmarried women. It is celebrated for long life of the husband and for making married life blissful. Hariyali Teej is celebrated in Sawan that comes in the month of July or August. Sawan is the rainy season in India, also called monsoon in English, whereas Hatiyali is called as greenery in English. It is a symbol of prosperity and growth and it is a celebration of growth and greenery. Teej is a festival that celebrates regrowth of greenery on earth after dry and hot summer.
Why is Hariyali Teej celebrated?
On this festival, people worship Mata Parvati (wife of the Lord Shiva). Women keep fast for long and happy life of their husband. It is believed that Goddess Parvati went to a penance and prayed there for a very long time to show her devotion to God Shiva. As per puranas, it is believed that Lord Shiva accepted her as his wife for 108 births and rebirths. Married women take the blessings of Devi Parvati and unmarried girls take blessings from Devi Parvati to get a husband who is like God Shiva.
What is the legend of Hariyali Teej?
Hariyali teej is considered as the day of Shravani teej that falls in the month of Sawan. It is the day when Lord Shiva accepted Goddess Parvati as his lovable wife. There is a big story behind this union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. It was a difficult task for Goddess Parvati to impress Lord Shiva. She faced a lot of difficulties for this.
Goddess Parvati did a lot to marry Lord Shiva since it was not easy to get him. Lord Shiva was ideal man of Goddess Parvati, so she kept fast for many years. She observed this fast to impress Lord Shiva. After so much of struggle, finally Lord Shiva accepted her as his wife. It is believed that this miracle happened on the third day of Shukla Paksha in the month of Sawan. Since that day of union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, this day of Sawan month is celebrated as Hariyali teej. Women observe fast of whole day on this occasiom and pray for the long life of their husband. This is the legend behind festival of Hariyali teej.
What is the significance of Hariyali teej?
Hariyali teej is considered as the fasting day for a woman of Hindu community. It is an auspicious day to pray for the long life their husband. Married women and unmarried girls keep the fast on this day for well-being of the partner. Unmarried girls pray for the partner who is as ideal as Lord Shiva. Hariyali teej falls in the month of July or August. According to Hindi Calendar, it falls on the third day of first fortnight of the month of Sawan. Sawan month is associated with the time when monsoon season being in India. According to English literature, Hariyali refers to greenery and it is the symbol of happiness, growth and prosperity in one’s life. In Sawan, celebration takes place for the renewal of earth after long period of hotness and dryness on earth.
On this occasion of union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, women keeps fast of whole day and dress up beautifully. They carry colorful clothes, jewelry, colorful bangles and mehandi in hands. This day is celebrated with amazing zeal and enthusiasm by girls and women. It is believed that Lord Shiva accepted Goddess Parvati as his wife after after births. Devotees seek the blessings of Goddess Parvati to get the courage like her.
Hariyali teej is comprised of many activities of joy such as dancing, singing and swinging. Women dances on the taal of Dhols and make environment joyful on this day.
What are Traditions and Rituals of this festival?
This is a three day long festival and is a symbol of joy and happiness in married life. On the festival day, women wear sarees like a bride that are in colors like green and red. They try to dress up in their best to impress their husbands. Women also apply Mehendi and henna, wear beautiful and colorful bangles. Bangles symbolize a bride who has recently married.
During the two day festival, every day is considered to be special. It starts with the first day, i.e. Dar Khane Din. On this day, the married women enjoy food prepared by their husbands. The second dayis a fasting day and people keep fast on this day. On the third day, prayers are performed to mark the occasion.
The famous tradition of holding back fast is famous in the Teej festival. This Fast is a tribute to Mata Durga who went through a fast for 100 long years. It is after this difficult penance that God Shiva had accepted her as wife. The fast kept by women is very hard, they don’t even drink water whole day and also don’t take food for the whole day.
‘Teej Katha’is one of the special part of Teej celebrations. It includes various stories of Gods associated with this celebration. On the festival’s evening, women get together to pray for the health of their husband. They also listen to the narration of Teej Katha and pray for a happy married life. Puja of Teej starts with donating flowers and fruits to Teej Goddess. Special food or dishes are made like Dal Bati Churma, Ghevar, Kaju Katli, Besan Laddu and Sattu.
Illumination of big ghee lamp for the full day is an important tradition of Teej festival. The women take a bath in wet red mud, this is done to purify themselves. It is said that by taking this bath, woman is purified from her past mistakes and sins. When the moon appears, women eat food, drink water to finish their fast and take feast with their husband.