Hartalika Teej which will be observed on September 12, 2018 is celebrated in the fifth month of the Hindu calendar Shraavan. Hariyali Teej represents greenery due to the monsoon season. The festival is dedicated to Goddess Parvati and her reunion with Lord Shiva. The festival is celebrated primarily by girls and woman. On this day, women sing, dance and conduct prayer rituals.
The festival Of Teej is one of the most awaited festivals for the womenfolk of North India and it marks the union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
Teej festival is celebrated mainly by the womenfolk. Four Teej festivals are celebrated in a year. The first one is Akha Teej and is observed around the month of April. Akha Teej is also known as Akshay Tritiya. The second one, Hariyali Teej is celebrated around August. The third is the Kajri Teej which also falls within a period of fifteen days after Hariyali Teej. Similarly, the fourth Teej, known as Hartalika Teej also falls within a period of fifteen days after the Hariyali Teej.
Haryali Teej celebration:
Women dress up in green clothes, wear bangles and put mehendi on their hands. In the evening, they conduct special puja and worship the moon with milk, flowers and curd. Religious songs and mantras are chanted on this day. In Rajasthan, Teej is celebrated on a larger scale on streets where songs and dance are performed. In Punjab, women gather and perform Gidda.
Hartalika Teej Fast:
Women observe this festival as a fasting day. They get up early and take bath during the Brahma Muhurta (between 4:00 am – 6:00 am). Statues of Lord Shiva and Goddess of Parvati are prepared using clay. They offer prayers before these deities and offer items such as flowers, fruits, Belpatra, etc. Rice, coloured with turmeric powder, is also offered during the puja.
The women who observe a fast do not eat anything for the whole day and break the fast in the evening by eating mainly jaggery, ghewar (a sweet dish prepared mainly in the North Indian regions) and coconut water.
Those who observe the fast, generally keep a whole night vigil. On this day women visit their friends and most of them get together, play games and sing songs the whole day.
