The Hindu festival of Teej is marked by fasting of women who pray to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati seeking their blessings for marital bliss. Andal is known for her unwavering devotion to Lord Vishnu, God of the Srivaishnavas. Adi Puram, in the Tamil month of Aadi celebrates the birth of Andal, believed to be an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi.
Hariyali Teej
Marriages are made in heaven but solemnised on earth. To make this bond of marriage eternal, the festival of Teej is celebrated. The Hindu festival of Teej is marked by fasting of women who pray to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati seeking their blessings for marital bliss.
Teej refers to the monsoon festivals, observed particularly in western and northern states of India and Nepal. It is a series of festivals that occur during the Hindu month of Shravana or Sawan and Bhadrapada or Bhado, that corresponds to the Indian monsoon season of July – August – September.
Types Of Teej
“Teej” refers to the “third” day that falls every month after the new moon (Amavasya), and the third day after the full moon night of every month. The monsoon festivals of Teej include
Haryali Teej
Kajari Teej
Hartalika Teej
It is believed that the name of this festival comes from a small red insect called ‘Teej’ that emerges from the earth during the monsoon season. Hindu mythology has it that on this day, Parvati came to the Shiva’s abode, marking the union of the husband and wife. Hariyali Teej falls on Shukla Paksha Tritiya in Shravana month and usually falls two days before Nag Panchami.
The rituals of Hariyali Teej are extremely significant for newly married females. Females visit their homes and are gifted with Sindhara, where it contains shringar items like Bindi (forehead mark), Sindoor (vermilion), Mehendi (henna), Bangles, etc. along with that the girl and her mother-in-law is gifted jewelry and clothes by her parents. Married women worship Goddess Parvati. Special dance, fairs, swings, and folk songs are performed on the day of Haryali Teej.
Hariyali Teej is also known as Chhoti Teej and Shravana Teej. Kajari Teej which comes fifteen days after Hariyali Teej is known as Badi Teej.
