KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 17
The festival of Teej, a big festival observed by Nepali Hindu women, is being celebrated in a grand manner, wishing for prosperous life and perpetual luck throughout the country today.
As per the tradition, women on this third day of the dark half of the lunar month that falls in the Nepali month of Bhadra observe fasting and wish for a prosperous life while observing the festival.
The Teej festival is also celebrated as Haritalika. All Hindu Nepalese women offer prayers and worships at Pashupatinath temple and other temples of Lord Shiva in other parts of the country.
According to the 'Skanda Puran' (a religious scripture of the Hindus), this festival got the name Haritalika Teej as it was on this very day in the 'Satya Yug' (golden epoch of truth) that the daughter of the Himalayas, Parvati, was hidden by her maids because of her refusal to marry Lord Vishnu. A day before Teej on the night of the second day of the fortnight in the month of Bhadra, women enjoy a variety of delicious dishes known as 'Dar' at their parental home where they are especially invited for this purpose.
The women on the day of Teej are seen engrossed in jubilant dancing and singing in a care-free mood.
Women put on bangles, 'Pote' (a necklace made of glass beads), 'Tilahari' and 'Sindur' (crimson powder) considered the symbols of good luck and dress themselves up in red saris or other red outfits and adorn themselves with different kinds of ornaments.
Women take ritual baths and offer worship in the morning, while in the evening they pay homage to Lord Shiva, light lamps and spend the night awake.
A version of this article appears in the print on September 18, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
