I have passed more than a week
in my host organization here in Nepal. I have got a calendar from the
office where the holidays are mentioned. I found that August 28th was a
holiday and planning to visit some place in Kathmandu Valley. But it
shocked me when I heard that this is special holiday only for the women
staffs of my office. Then I asked my colleagues about the day. From them
I have learnt that this "Teej" festival is the fasting festival for the
women. That's why they got special holiday. Married women used to visit
their parents house to meet them. On this festivals women dance in joy,
pray for their husband, children and family.
To celebrate the day all the male staffs including the FK Fellows of SAMATA Foundation, we organize the lunch for our female staffs. All the male staffs gave some money and from that we money cooking staffs were bought. The day was on 26 August, Tuesday. Me and Sonu Kumar Yadav (FK Fellow from India), both of us, were very much excited about this program. We along with Surya (intern at SAMATA Foundation) assisted our Maya Didi, Chief of the Kitchen, in cooking that day's lunch. She cooked some special dishes like-Polau, Chicken Curry, Rajam and also brought Dai for us. Being a vegetarian Sonu prepared a veg-dish with Panir for the vegetarians including him. At lunch time all the female staffs were given priority to take the food first and we all had lunch together at ground floor of the office. It was really a nice day and good way to respect women. This event was a great experience for me to learn and respect my mother, sisters, relatives, female friends and other women in a very different way. And yes I agreed, this day women should be given special holiday.
Here I am sharing the story on "Teej" to understand the festival. It's collected from internet-
Teej" is the fasting festival for women. It takes place in August or early September in every year. The festival is a three-day long celebration that combines sumptuous feasts as well as rigid fasting. Through this religious fasting, hindu women pray for marital bliss, well being of their spouse and children and purification of their own body and soul.
Traditionally, the ritual of Teej is obligatory for all Hindu married women and girls who have reached puberty. Exception is made for the ones who are ill or physically unfit. In such circumstances a priest performs the rites. According to the holy books, the Goddess Parbati fasted and prayed fervently for the great Lord Shiva to become her spouse. Touched by her devotion, he took her for his wife. Goddess Parbati, in gratitude sent her emissary to preach and disseminate this religious fasting among mortal women, promising prosperity and longevity with their family. Thus was born the festival of Teej.
The first day of Teej is called the "Dar Khane Din". On this day the women, both married and unmarried, assemble at one place, in there finest attires and start dancing and singing devotional songs. Admist all this, the grand feast takes place. The jollity often goes on till midnight, after which the 24 – hour fast commences. Some women without a morsel of food or drops of water while others take liquid and fruit
Gaily dressed women can be seen dancing and singing on the street leading to Shiva temples. But the main activities take place around the Pashupatinath temple where women circumambulate the Lingam, the phallic symbol of the lord, offering flowers, sweets and coins. The main puja (religious ceremony) takes place with offerings of flowers, fruits etc made to Shiva and Parbati, beseeching their blessing upon the husband and family. The important part of the puja is the oil lamp which should be alight throughout the night for it is bad omen if it dies away.
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 sins. The recent years have witnessed alteration in the rituals, especially concerning the severity, but its essence remains. No matter how agonizing the fast may be Nepalese women have and will always continue to have faith in the austerities of Teej.
To celebrate the day all the male staffs including the FK Fellows of SAMATA Foundation, we organize the lunch for our female staffs. All the male staffs gave some money and from that we money cooking staffs were bought. The day was on 26 August, Tuesday. Me and Sonu Kumar Yadav (FK Fellow from India), both of us, were very much excited about this program. We along with Surya (intern at SAMATA Foundation) assisted our Maya Didi, Chief of the Kitchen, in cooking that day's lunch. She cooked some special dishes like-Polau, Chicken Curry, Rajam and also brought Dai for us. Being a vegetarian Sonu prepared a veg-dish with Panir for the vegetarians including him. At lunch time all the female staffs were given priority to take the food first and we all had lunch together at ground floor of the office. It was really a nice day and good way to respect women. This event was a great experience for me to learn and respect my mother, sisters, relatives, female friends and other women in a very different way. And yes I agreed, this day women should be given special holiday.
Here I am sharing the story on "Teej" to understand the festival. It's collected from internet-
Teej" is the fasting festival for women. It takes place in August or early September in every year. The festival is a three-day long celebration that combines sumptuous feasts as well as rigid fasting. Through this religious fasting, hindu women pray for marital bliss, well being of their spouse and children and purification of their own body and soul.
Traditionally, the ritual of Teej is obligatory for all Hindu married women and girls who have reached puberty. Exception is made for the ones who are ill or physically unfit. In such circumstances a priest performs the rites. According to the holy books, the Goddess Parbati fasted and prayed fervently for the great Lord Shiva to become her spouse. Touched by her devotion, he took her for his wife. Goddess Parbati, in gratitude sent her emissary to preach and disseminate this religious fasting among mortal women, promising prosperity and longevity with their family. Thus was born the festival of Teej.
The first day of Teej is called the "Dar Khane Din". On this day the women, both married and unmarried, assemble at one place, in there finest attires and start dancing and singing devotional songs. Admist all this, the grand feast takes place. The jollity often goes on till midnight, after which the 24 – hour fast commences. Some women without a morsel of food or drops of water while others take liquid and fruit
Gaily dressed women can be seen dancing and singing on the street leading to Shiva temples. But the main activities take place around the Pashupatinath temple where women circumambulate the Lingam, the phallic symbol of the lord, offering flowers, sweets and coins. The main puja (religious ceremony) takes place with offerings of flowers, fruits etc made to Shiva and Parbati, beseeching their blessing upon the husband and family. The important part of the puja is the oil lamp which should be alight throughout the night for it is bad omen if it dies away.
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 sins. The recent years have witnessed alteration in the rituals, especially concerning the severity, but its essence remains. No matter how agonizing the fast may be Nepalese women have and will always continue to have faith in the austerities of Teej.
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