Hariyali Teej

The Hariyali Teej festival is also celebrated to remember the reunion of Shiva and Parvati, the day when Shiva accepted Parvati as his wife. Parvati fasted and was austere for many years and was accepted by Shiva as his wife in her 108 birth.

It is also called Hariyali Teej because these months of Shravan Bhadrapad or Sawan-Bhado are the rainy season months across India, it is the monsoon time when the earth is carpeted in green grass and foliage and sowing season is on at several places.

Hariyali Teej is also known as ‘Sindhara Teej’, and it gets this name from a bucket of gifts and goodies called the ‘sindhara’ that is gifted to the daughter and her in-laws by her parents. It mostly contains homemade sweets, ghewar, henna tubes, bangles, etc.

Women clad themselves in green clothes, wear green bangles and adorn their hands with henna. A special puja to worship the moon with milk, flowers and curd is performed. Religious songs and hymns are chanted. The celebration comprises of dancing and singing.

In Rajasthan, processions of Teej Mata are taken on the streets and songs and dances are performed. Haryana marks the day as the official holiday and the Government of Haryana organises several functions to celebrate the festival.In Punjab, women gather and perform Gidda and visit their families. There is also a tradition for women to ride swings.In Chandigarh, students present plays and cultural programs and the Chandigarh administration makes special arrangements in the Rock Garden for Teej celebration.