Followers of Hindu mythology in the northern states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh observe the festival of Teej (officially called Haritalika Teej) on Friday and we bring you a lowdown on the ingredients required for the ocassion, rituals to be followed and everything you need to know about the cherished festival.
Date and time
Hartalika Teej falls on the third day of the shukla paksha in Bhadrapada month of the lunar Hindu calendar. It falls one day ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi. This year, Teej shall be observed on Friday, August 21 and the tritiya tithi begins at 2:13 AM on August 21 and ends at 11:02 PM on August 21.
Who keeps the fast?
Married women observe nirjala fast (without taking water or food for 24 hours) for longevity of husbands while unmarried girls are said to be blessed with good husbands and long, happy and prosperous marital life if they observe the fast.
Rituals
On the day of Hartalika Teej, women prepare idols of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati from black mud or cow dung. This ritual is similar to the Hariyali Teej festivities. Women observe “nahai khaye” a day before the festival when they take bath and then offer their food to gods before eating. They avoid onions, garlic and meat on this day.
The next day, on the day of Teej, they get up before the sunrise for sargahi. Before dwn, women consume water, sweets and the likes to ensure they remain hydrated through the day. After sunrise, they take bath and go for the ‘solah shringar‘ adorning themselves with sindoor, kajal, tika, bindi, attar, alta, mehendi among others. The puja is then done, worshipping the couple Shiva-Parvati with dhoop (thick, clay like incense), deep (earthen lamps), agar (incense sticks) and kapoor (camphor).
The essentials in this puja include cucumber, soaked black grams and sweets made of til. The cucumber is used to make kajal (by placing it above the ghee diya so that the soot from the flame collects on the cucumber). This kajal is first applied on Parvati and then on the devotees. Black grams and sweets are offered as prasad. The cucumber used for this purpose is only to be eaten by the devotee’s husband. After the puja, the prasad can be consumed by people in the family but the devotees break their fast only the day after.
Special occasion this year
In some parts, it is believed that any fast observed on a Friday needs special attention. According to mythological stories, the devotee is supposed to eat the first things she/he sees the next day of the fast. To avoid discomfort and awkward situations, devotees believe it is best to sleep alone, with a banana or any fruit, if the fast falls on a Friday.
The story of Hartalika Teej
It is believed that Goddess Parvati worshipped Lord Shiva and remained in tough austerity to please him and seek him as a husband. However, her father (Giriraj Himalaya) did not want his delicate daughter to marry the ‘aughad’ Shiva. To save her love, Parvati’s friend is said to have abducted her away and hidden her in a forest. The words “Harat” (abduction) and “alika” (sakhi, friend) form the name of the festival as it denotes a friend abducting Parvati.
Read the Hartalika vrat katha here :
Here is the Shiva arti for Hartalika Teej
Origins
Hartalika is a combination of two Sanskrit words Harat (kidnap)+ Aalika (female friend). It refers to the event that took place before Mata Parvati got married to Lord Shiva. According to a legend associated with this Teej, Mata Parvati’s father had chosen Lord Vishnu for her, but since she wanted to get married to Lord Shiva, she sought help from one of her friends. Mata Parvati’s friend “abducted” her and took her to a thick forest where she could hide. The word ‘abduction’ shouldn’t be misinterpreted. In this context, it is a gesture of lending help to a friend who wished to marry the man of her choice.
Two other Teej festivals
The festival of Hartalika Teej is celebrated with much enthusiasm in the states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. Besides Hartalika Teej, the two teej festivals which are celebrated in the monsoon months of Saavan and Bhadrapad are: Hariyali Teej and Kajari Teej.