| Festival
When the rains come down, spirits
soar high in celebration. Song & dance mark the gaiety of
the Teej Festival. Teej is held every year during the Hindu
Month of Shravan and marks the advent of the monsoons.The
monsoon rains fall on the parched land and the pleasing scent
of the wet soil rises into the air.
 Teej
Festival Falls on the Third day of the moonlit fortnight
of Sawan month (in July or August).
Teej is the festival for the
daughters of the house. 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 or two consecutive days on
the festive occasion which is watched by people in large
numbers.
The Teej idol is covered with
a canopy whereas the Gangaur idol is open. The
festivity revolves around singing and dancing in praise of
Parvati.
Celebrations
:
 On
the occasion of Teej, Dandia dances are arranged by
professionals and performed in courtyards at home and in
public places.
These dances are also performed by
the young girls of the house who dress up in colourful saris,
lehangas and chunris.
The colourful dandas moving in
rhythmic beats, with each swing of the hands and feet, hitting
either at one's own danda held in the other hand, or at the
one held by the other dancers, are really beautiful to watch.
 Girls
with henna on their hands and feet run about joyously and are
excused from household chores on this day.
On Teej, it is a must for the girls
to receive clothes from their parents. A set of heavy
clothes (baya) for the first year after marriage
is given to the newly weds and then the gifts.
The pooja is performed in
the morning. The bayna which consists of a variety of
foodstuff, is placed on a thaali at the place of
worship where a chowk (square) has been decorated, an idol or
a picture of Parvati is installed. The evenings are set aside
for singing and dancing.
Teej is the festival of swings.
Swings are hung from trees and decorated with flowers.
Young girls and women dressed
in colourful saris,
lehangas and chunris sing songs in celebration of
the advent of the monsoon.
The tie-and-dye chunri in
green, red, and yellow with its zari and gota along with
green, yellow and red bangles, becomes a feast for the eyes.
The rituals allow one to pamper and
enjoy themselves, to fast and feast, to dress the best with
best of cloths, finery and jewelry.
The festivities end with exchange of
gifts and the arrivals of husbands to fetch their wives. The
wives then leave then leave their parent’s home like Parvati.
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