Teej Festival

Time : For two days in Bhadra (according to the Hindu calendar), which usually falls in July or August.
Significance : Held in the honor of the deity Teej.
Venue : Jaipur, Rajasthan
Festivals are the very essence of life for the people of Rajasthan. Every season is marked with a series of fairs and festivals except the summer months when the blazing sun scorches the earth. With the arrival of the monsoons the festival season is unleashed. And the most important festival to herald the monsoons is the Teej - reflecting the magic of the rainy season.
Teej is the festival of swings and rains. This festival marks the advent of the monsoon month of Saawan (July-August). The monsoon rains fall on the parched land and the pleasing scent of the wet soil rises into the air. Swings are hung from trees and decorated with flowers. Young girls and women dressed in colorful clothes sing traditional songs in celebration of the advent of the monsoon. This festival is dedicated to the Goddess Parvati, commemorating her union with Lord Shiva.
Goddess Parvati is worshipped by seekers of conjugal bliss and happiness. An elaborate procession is taken out in Jaipur from City Palace for two consecutive days on the festive occasion which is watched by people in large numbers. The TEEJ idol is richly decorated with ornaments and gaudy dresses. The Teej idol is covered with a canopy whereas the Gangaur idol is open.
Teej is essentially a women's festival. On this day goddess Parvati was united with Lord Shiva after a penance of a hundred years - making them a symbol of an ideal marriage. Invocation of Parvati's blessings on this day results in continued marital bliss. Women dress up in all their finery to worship the goddess. Girls engaged to be married receive gifts from their future in-laws a day before the festival. The gift called shrinjhara derived from the word Shringar (adornment) consists of henna, lac bangles, a special dress of laharia (tie and dye fabric) and a sweet called ghewar

Teej Festival Activities

Teej is celebrated mainly by the women folk of Rajasthan. Married women who idolize Parvati for her devotion to her husband Shiva celebrate Teej. The festivity revolves around singing and dancing in praise of Parvati. The rituals allow the women to pamper and enjoy themselves, to feast, to dress in the best of cloths, finery and jewellery, in fact to look the stunning best.
All over Rajasthan, even in remote villages, Jhoolas (swings) are hung from trees and decorated with leaves and flowers. Ladies and girls can be seen enjoying on these swings, playing games, singing folk songs and applying Mehandi (henna) on their palms. In Jaipur an idol of Goddess Parvati (Teej Mata) is taken out in a royal procession from the city palace so that the general public can have a chance to pay homage to the Goddess. Antique gilt palanquins, bullock carts pulling cannons, chariots, gaily decorated elephants with silver haodas, horses, camels, brass bands, and group of dances all form a part of this grand spectacle. The Palanquin of Goddess Paravati is carried by 8 men dressed in red color. This kilometer long procession winds its way through the lanes of the old city. Local people come in huge numbers, dress in their best traditional clothes. Space is at a premium as people perch on top of building, windows even trees to catch a glimpse of Goddess. A huge band of urchins follows the Palanquin to grab these offerings.
A lot of merriment prevails during the Teej procession. Groups of men and women can be seen singing dancing and playing musical instruments. Men and women dressed as gods and Goddess also join in the procession.

Features

• In Jaipur a procession of the idol of Goddess Parvati is taken out in the old city. This royal procession is joined by brass bands, chariots, elephants, horses even people dressed as God's and Goddesses. Singing and dancing accompanied by music by groups of men and women are an integral part of the procession.
• The palanquin of the Mata Parvati is carried by 8 men decked up in red clothes. The local people get a golden opportunity to seek blessings from the Goddess.
• Teej is primarily a women oriented festival. During this time married women pray to the Goddess for the well being of their husbands. Singing and dancing in praise of the Goddess is an important part of the ceremony.
• The young girls and women during this time pamper themselves with a royal treatment. They dress in the best of clothes, shop for jewellery and finery, and feast all day long.
• Since Teej marks the beginning of the rainy season swings are hung from trees in many villages in Jaipur. The women, especially young girls swing on them singing folk songs, play games and apply henna on their palm.

How To Reach

Flight : The Jaipur airport called the Sanganer Airport is situated about 15Km from the city and it takes about 25 minutes to reach the city. All the major airlines of India have regular flights for Jaipur.

Train : All the major trains like Shatabdi, Intercity Express etc are another option to travel to Jaipur. For a truly princely experience, there is a special luxury train, the Palace on Wheels, which starts every Saturday and is available for taking a round the Rajasthan trip starting from Delhi and covering cities like Udaipur, Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur and Alwar etc.

Road : Regular buses ply to and from Jaipur. Both deluxe and ordinary buses of Rajasthan Roadways ply at regular intervals from all the major cities in India.