Jaipur witnessed a fanfare of colours with Teej Festivities

A vibrant splash of colours, tremendous fanfare, and intriguing rituals, Teej festival in Jaipur is the time of year when the city brims with colours and fanfare. While peacocks celebrate monsoons with dancing in the rain, Womenfolk in Jaipur marks the blushing season by singing folk songs and swaying on a tree swing.

One can never find any better way to experience the colourful culture of fascinating Pink City than now!  With the augment of August month accompanied by showers; Jaipur is brimming with the spirit of ecstasy and Teej festivities.

Sawan Teej festival was celebrated on 3rd and 4th August 2019. Teej
Festival though is fêted all over the state but celebrated at its colorful best in Jaipur. Jaipurites welcomed the advent of monsoon through Teej celebrations, which is also dedicated to Goddess Parvati and commemorates the day when she was united with Lord Shiva after a penance of a hundred years.

A spellbinding procession of Goddess Parvati, followed by Palanquins, chariots, dancers and a band took place magnificently through the Old City of Jaipur for two days.

 

Rajasthan witnesses the festivities of Saawan Teej

Rajasthan is always bathed in the colours of fairs and festivals all round the year! Festival of every religion is celebrated here with true passion and similar beauty, be it welcoming or bidding farewell to a season, praying for the healthy life of spouse or any other small or big occasion for that matter. Each festival holds a significant importance in the lives of people in Rajasthan.

 

One would not just feel the lively spirit of Rajasthan’s people around the festivals, but could also witness the rich culture of Rajasthan. And one such festival is Teej, which is falling today, 26th July this year 🙂 As per mythology, Teej was the day when Goddess Parvati reunited with Lord Shiva after a long separation. It is believed that whoever worships Parvati on this day is fortunate enough to get their desired life partner by her blessings. Sinjhara is celebrated one day prior to Teej when the swings are decked with flowers and hung from trees, women dressed in leheriya and decked with beautiful jewellery make merry and sing songs! Teej symbolizes celebration of growth when women observe fasts for the long life of their husbands and men pray for good rain and crop.

The Jaipur City of Rajasthan celebrates Teej with great pomp and fair. One day before Teej, a married woman receives Sinjhara from her parents, which is a hamper that includes bindi, vermilion, mehandi or henna, bangles, ghewar and Lehariya as a symbol of their love and covertures. She then adorns herself with henna, jewels, wear lahariya sari and take delight in the celebrations of this auspicious festival of Teej.

On City level, a decorated procession of Goddess Parvati winds magnificently through the Old City of Jaipur with chariots, elephants and dancers for two days. Other than the traditional procession of Goddess Teej, to showcase the charm and culture of Rajasthan this year  once again ‘Taal Katora Ki Paal’ will be the hub of a large number of folk and cultural events, where locals and tourists can enjoy the cultural activities. Later the Teej idols will be submerged at Taal Katora pond.

 

The tempting aromas of Ghewar being cooked on sweet shops, colourful lehariyas, and blossoming flowers and women folks decked up in their traditional best add more colours to the essence of jovial season.

Rajasthani Delicay- Ghewar

So if you also wish to join in the festivities of Saawan ki Teej in this beautiful weather, then visit Jaipur as the celebration will continue till 27th evening here!

Festivals in Rajasthan

Pic: Google

Very rarely a week goes by without some kind of festival, celebration or event taking place in Rajasthan. From religious gatherings to festival of elephants, camels and cattle, the calendar of Rajasthan is overflowing with special days, which means you’re spoiled for choices.

There is quite simply no better way to experience the vibrant culture of this fascinating place than attending one of the many festivals. Every festival with pomp and pageantry celebrated all over the state are our favorites, but all these festivals display the most vibrant milange of colors, cheer and fervor in Jaipur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur where enthusiasm is at its peak and tourists flock these cities specially for the historical values and fabulous experiences they offer!!

The two most important festivals celebrated in the month of June and July are Teej Festival and Jagannath Rath Yatra.

Jagannath Rath Yatra (June 29, 2014) is an extra ordinary chariot festival devoted to Lord Krishna that originated in Jagannath Puri Udaipur holds the distinction of holding the 3rd largest Rath Yatra in India. The city has two Rath Yatras on the same day at different locations. Everyone chants Hare Krishna and dance in ecstasy as Krishna in his most merciful form of Jagannath is pulled along on a huge wooden cart.

Teej Festival (July 30-31, 2014) is celebrated all over the state, but celebrated at its colorful best in Jaipur. The festival is celebrated to welcome the advent of monsoon, also dedicated to Goddess Parvati and commemorates the day when she was united with Lord Shiva after a penance of a hundred years. The mesmerizing procession of Goddess Parvati wind s magnificently through the Old City of Jaipur with chariots, elephants and dancers for two days.

Celebrate the spirit of spring with Teej Festival

Fairs and festivals add much needed zing to our life and give us an opportunity to forget all our tensions and make merry. Fairs and festivals in Jaipur epitomize this very idea of living life to the hilt.

Teej, the carnival of swings tributes the initiation of torrential rain month of Shravan (in the month of August). The torrential rain falls on the scorched land of Rajasthan and the lovely aroma of the wet soil mounts in the air. People hang the swings from trees and ladies would dress up in bright green clothes. They sing songs merrily thereby welcoming the monsoon. It is also a good time to shop for the Rajasthani ‘tie and dye’ fabrics, saris as well as trendy accessories from the decorated markets. Teej festival is devoted to the deity Parvati to tribute her unification with mighty God Shiva.

Owing to the enjoyable ambiance of the neighbouring foliage, all women enjoy carefree swings. Hence, the key reason behind Teej festival is to make a woman of the house happy thus making the whole family to prosper.

Starting from the Tripolia Gate of the City Palace at 06.00 pm and ending at Chaugun, the traditional royal procession would be led through the Tripolia Bazaar and Chhoti Chaupar on August 09 and 10, this year. Antique gilt palanquins, bullock carts pulling cannons, chariots, bedecked elephants, horses, camels, brass bands, and dances all form a part of this grand procession. The Palanquin of Goddess Paravati is carried by eight men dressed in red colour. This kilometre long parade travels through the embedded lanes of the old city. People come out in their traditional best to participate, witness and enjoy.

Teej is also an excellent time to enjoy Rajasthani delicacies like ‘Ghewar’ and ‘Feeni’ and ‘Malpuas’.

Celebrate the advent of Monsoon with Teej Festival

Celebrated in Rajasthan and Chandigarh in July, the Saavan festival welcomes the advent of  monsoon. The festival is also dedicated to Goddess Parvati and commemorates the day when she was united with Lord Shiva after a penance of a hundred years – making them a symbol of an ideal marriage. It is believed that invocation of Parvati’s blessings on this day results in continued marital bliss.

Basically a women’s festival, Teej falls on the third day of the bright fortnight of the month of Shrawan (July-August). The images of Parvati or Teej Mata are bedecked in new clothes and jewellery and worshipped. Then the images are taken out in ceremonial processions escorted by caparisoned elephants, camels and horse drawn chariots, as the bride Parvathi leaves her parents home for her husband’s.

This year, on July22 and 23 the royal palanquins, chariots would starts from the Tripoliya Gate (City Palace), winding its way through Tripolia Bazar and Chhoti Chaupar to wind up at the Chaugan Stadium. The devotees surges to catch a glimpse of the deity and seek blessings!!

Swings are hung from trees and decorated with flowers. Young girls and women colourfully attired, swing on them and sing songs in praise of the goddess and the monsoon. They decorate their hands and feet with henna in delicate designs. The popular belief is that darker the henna the more a man loves his woman. Girls engaged to be married receive gifts such as a dress, henna, lac bangles and sweets from their future in-laws and married women, from their parents.