Teej known as the Haritalika Teej is the main festival of the Hindu women of the Nepalese society. It usually falls on the third day of the full moon of the month of bhadra according to the Bikram Sambat calendar. It  is the festival celebrated by females only. The main purpose of this festival is to unite the sisters and mothers who cannot meet for the long period of time. During this festival women fast for the whole day without even drinking water to pray for the better health and well being of their husband and family. The  day before Teej women feast till midnight enjoying delicious cuisine such as meat, curd, various types of sweets and dessert.

HISTORY of Teej

According to the Hindu folks tale and puran, the king of Himalayan arranged the marriage of his beautiful and intelligent daughter Goddess Parvati to the wealthy god Lord Bhisnu but the Goddess was in love with the lord Shiva. She ran away from the home and began to live a ascetic life in the forest. Lord Shiva was very surprised to hear this about the Parvati so he decided to test the loyalty of the Parvati. He disguised as the Rich Bhishnu and went there in a golden carriage. But goddess Parvati was still unimpressed and devoted to Lord Shiva. Upon seeing this,  he revealed his true identity and they married in the forest. So this festival is celebrated to remember the commitment, loyalty and devotion of the Goddess Parvati to Lord Shiva.

Pashupatinath Temple is very much crowded in this festival.  The females dress in red attire and gather in the Lord Shiva temple enjoying themselves in singing and dancing forgetting their worries for the short period of time. After the day has passed the females worship their husband and drink water from their husband’s hand.  During old days married women used to drink water from their husband’s feet. Then on the third day of the Teej known as RISHI PANCHAMI  women bathe themselves with the red mud to wash away their all the sins. On this day after worshipping  7 saints (RISHIS), they finally eat food and the fast is completed.

So the people who are very much interested in Hindu culture can get the glimpse of the beautiful cultural norms and values that has been practised from the ancient time.