Teej

Every year , in August or early September, there is a three-day festival called Teej. Teej  is the fasting festival of women in Nepal which always ends on the fifth day of the brightening moon. Nepalese women claim it for themselves alone. In observing the required rituals and ceremonies , Nepalese women strive for what is desired by women everywhere- a happy and productive marriage, good fortune and long life for her husband, and the purification of her own body and soul. Red color is considered auspicious for women observing Teej fast. Similarly Traditional dances and songs form an important feature of Teej celebrations.

Teej Celebration

While observing this festival of Teej, women must undergo penances and rigid fasting, the severity of which is allivated by lavish feasts, laughter and dancing in good fellowship with sister devotees. On the first day they indulge themselves and their appetites to the fullest in preparation for  all- important second day of strictest fasting. Because the last day of tedious , ceremonial holy bathing must take place on the fifth day of the wanning moon, during some years a day elapses between the Teej day of fasting and the final bathing day. In other years the three days follow consecutively.

Dar Khane Din

The first day of Teej in Nepal is called the ‘Dar Khane Din’, the day to make merry. On this day,  the women of each house  hold prepare for a feast , the most sumptuous that can be produced different kinds of delicious cousines , an indulgence which often strains the  family purse.Celebrations continue till midnight after which the 24-hour-long fast begins.

Fasting Day

The second or the fasting day  the women are ready to conduct the puja or religious ceremonies especially prescribed for the day of Teej fasting . The holy Pashupatinath temple is thronged by women in red sarees to offer prayers to Lord Shiva. Women gather in the temple and circumambulate the Lingam (phallic symbol of the Lord) adorned with flowers, sweets and coins. The beautifully decorated idols of Shiva and Parvati are offered fruits and flowers to seek blessings of the divine spirits. Lighting of an oil lamp is very important part of the puja ceremony. It is said that the oil lamp should be kept lit all night to avoid bad omen.

Rishi Panchami

The third day of the festival is Rishi Panchami. After the completion of the previous day’s puja, women pay homage to various deities and bathe with red mud found on the roots of the sacred “Datiwan Bush”, along with its leaves. This act of purification is the final ritual of Teej, after which women are considered absolved from all their sins. The recent years have witnessed an alteration in the rituals, especially concerning the severity, but its essence remains the same.