Teej
Teej (Sanskrit: तीज, meaning "third") is a collective term for three Hindu festivals dedicated to the goddess Parvati and her consort Shiva. It is mainly celebrated by married women and unmarried girls, who pray for the long life of their husbands or future husbands and to welcome the arrival of the monsoon through singing, swinging, dancing, joyful celebration, pūjā, and often fasting.
Teej collectively refers to Haryālī Tīja, Kajari Tīja, and Hartālikā Tīja, which are observed in different regions of India and Nepal. Haryālī Tīja and Kajari Tīja are associated with the monsoon season, while Hartālikā Tīja commemorates the devotion of Pārvatī to Śiva. Their observances vary by region and include fasting, worship, singing, dancing, swings, and other festivities.
Hartālikā Tīja (from Harat meaning "abduction" and Ālikā meaning "female friend") falls one lunar month after Haryālī Tīja on the third day after the new moon in the month of Bhādrapada. It commemorates the occasion when Pārvatī encouraged her friends to abduct her to avoid marriage with Viṣṇu, which her father Himālaya had arranged. Married women observe nirjala vrata (a fast without water) on this day for the well-being of their husbands.
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