Teej Festival Jaipur

Teej is the festival of swings. It marks the advent of the monsoon month of Shravan (August). The monsoon rains fall on the parched land and the pleasing scent of the wet soil rises into the air. Swings are hung from trees and decorated with flowers. Young girls and women dressed in green clothes sing songs in celebration of the advent of the monsoon.

This festival is dedicated to the Goddess Parvati, commemorating her union with Lord Shiva. Goddess Parvati is worshipped by seekers of conjugal bliss and happiness. An elaborate procession is taken out in Jaipur for two consecutive days on the festive occasion which is watched by people in large numbers. The Teej idol is covered with a canopy whereas the Gangaur idol is open.

Teej is celebrated mainly by the women folk of Rajasthan. Married women who idolize Parvati for her devotion to her husband Shiva celebrate Teej. The festivity revolves around singing and dancing in praise of Parvati. The rituals allow the women to pamper and enjoy themselves, to feast, to dress in the best of cloths, finery and jewellery, in fact to look the stunning best.

Ghewar a delicious sweet from the state of Rajasthan is a treat to the taste buds. It is a very popular sweet even outside Rajasthan and usually served as dessert. Ghewar is generally prepared in January for Makar Sankranti, in March-April for Gangaur and in July-August for the Teej festival. The demand for Ghewar remains high during the Teej which marks the beginning of a series of fairs and festivals, which are celebrated throughout the autumn and winter months in Rajasthan, culminating in the spring festival of Gangaur. During Teej and Gangaur, gifting Ghewar is part of rituals in Rajasthan. The newly wedded girls are given Ghewar sweet as gift. It is really very tasty and yummy to eat. No doubt, the calories are really high in this sweet, but eating one or two pieces would do no major harm.