Teeja

Teeja is celebrated during the monsoon months of shravana to commemorate the event of Parvati leaving the home of her parents as a bride and lord Shiva's visit to fetch her. The festival is extremely popular among the women in North India . Married women visit their parent's home to celebrate this festival. It is an occasion on their part to sing in the praise of Parvati whose devotion to her husband was exemplary. Married women beautifully dressed pray to Parvati for marital bliss. Parvati clad in red and gold, borne on a palanquin is taken out in procession. Teej in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharastra is observed as Haritalika. This is observed in the month of Bhadrapad. For three days the brata is observed with fastings. During the festivity they offer painted coconuts and fruits to friends and goddesses as thanksgiving. Once the ritual is over, normally jaggery and rice patolis steamed in banana leaves and a sweet made from coconut milk and rice and mixed vege…