Jaipur is all set with swings hung in the courtyards of houses with women dressed in green clothes with face masks to sing songs in celebration of Hariyali Teej to mark the advent of the monsoon in the Hindu holy month of Sawan.
This time due to the COVID pandemic, various public parks and gardens have locked to avoid gatherings for festivities. Also, the procession has been cancelled this time.
The festival is dedicated to the Goddess Parvati for seeking conjugal bliss and happiness. Married women have put up sinjara or singara as makeup and mehandi on their hands.
The sweet shops are doing a brisk business by selling 'ghewar' and gift shops are being thronged for clothes, bangles, bindi, mehandi and other make-up articles.
Married females are supposed to wear their best attire including all the Sringara items on the day by adorning themselves like a newlywed bride.
Hariyali Teej is celebrated on the third day of the bright half of the North Indian Lunar month of Sawan. It falls on July 23 this year.
Besides Rajasthan, the Teej festivity is observed with much fanfare by women in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar.
Here is my acrostic on TEEJ.
T: Timed during rainy season, festival of woman folks to
E: Enjoy swings and celebrate divine love of Shiv-Parvati when
E: Everything around is green making it a
J: Joyful occasion for receiving gifts and relishing 'ghewar and kheer'.
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