Teej: Celebrating Parvati's Love and Monsoon Joy
Teej is a cluster of three major festivals in the monsoon months: Hariyali Teej (Shravan Tritiya), Kajari Teej (Shravan Krishna Tritiya), and Hartalika Teej (Bhadrapada Tritiya). All three celebrate Goddess Parvati's devotion to Lord Shiva, women's marital bliss, and the joy of the monsoon season.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the three types of Teej?
The three Teej festivals are: Hariyali Teej (Shravan Shukla Tritiya, Green Teej of the monsoon), Kajari Teej (Shravan Krishna Tritiya), and Hartalika Teej (Bhadrapada Shukla Tritiya, the strictest Teej fast).
Who observes Teej fasts?
Teej fasts are primarily observed by married women for their husbands' long life, and by unmarried women to pray for a good husband. The fasts reenact Parvati's own devotion to win Shiva as her husband.
What is the main tradition of Teej?
Key Teej traditions: Swinging on decorated jhulas (swings), applying mehndi (henna), wearing green clothing (Hariyali Teej), fasting from sunrise to moonrise, singing Teej songs, and worshipping Shiva-Parvati. Ghewar (a sweet) is the quintessential Teej food.
What is the Hartalika Teej story?
Hartalika means 'abducted by a friend.' Parvati's friend took her to a forest to prevent her forced marriage to Vishnu, allowing Parvati to make a Shiva idol from sand and worship it. Shiva appeared and accepted her as his consort. This story is recited in the Hartalika Teej Vrat Katha.
What is Ghewar and why is it eaten on Teej?
Ghewar is a disc-shaped sweet, golden and crispy, soaked in sugar syrup, and is the quintessential Teej sweet particularly popular in Rajasthan. Ghewar shops do brisk business in the weeks before Teej, and the sweet is gifted and shared as part of the celebration.
What is the religious significance of swings on Teej?
Swings (Jhula, Hindola) are central to Teej celebrations because according to Puranic tradition, Parvati swings with Shiva in the heavenly realm during the monsoon season of Shravan. The jhula tradition also connects to Krishna swinging in Vrindavan during Shravan. Decorated swings in homes, courtyards, and trees represent joy, abundance, and the divine play of the cosmos during the rainy season.
What is the significance of green color on Hariyali Teej?
Hariyali means 'greenery.' On Hariyali Teej (Shravan Shukla Tritiya), women traditionally wear green sarees, green bangles, and green ornaments. Green represents: the lush monsoon landscape, fertility, new beginnings, and prosperity. It also connects to the verdant forest where Parvati performed her penance. Wearing green on this day is believed to bring good fortune in marriage.
What songs are sung on Teej?
Teej ke geet (Teej songs) are traditional folk songs sung by women during the festival. These songs tell the story of Parvati's penance and reunion with Shiva, celebrate the monsoon, the swings, the mehndi, and the husband-wife bond. In Rajasthan, the Teej songs are among the most beloved regional folk music. They are sung in groups while women apply mehndi and swing on jhulas.
What is Kajari Teej and how is it different?
Kajari Teej (Shravan Krishna Tritiya, August 9, 2026) is the lesser-known third Teej. Kajari refers to the Kajri folk song tradition of the eastern Gangetic plains (UP, Bihar, MP). On this day, women carry earthen pots with growing neem saplings on their heads, worship the Neem tree as a form of Shiva, and sing Kajri songs. Kajari Teej is especially popular in the Mirzapur, Varanasi, and Bundelkhand regions.