India Tourism Home >> Festival Tour >> Teej

TEEJ

FACTS & FIGURES Time of the year - First week of August Places to Visit - Jaipur, Rajasthan Duration - One to two days

THE FESTIVAL

Festivals are the very essence of life for the people of Rajasthan. Every season is marked by a series of fairs and festivals except the summer months when the blazing sun scorches the earth. With the arrival of the monsoons the festival season is unleashed with renewed fervor. And the most important festival to herald the monsoons is Teej - reflecting the magic of the rainy season. Though celebrated primarily in Rajasthan, the women of Bihar and parts of Uttar Pradesh also undertake the ritual fast and prayer during Teej.

Peacocks dance in ecstasy, women rejoice by swinging on rope swings in gardens and lilting melodies heralding the festival of Teej echo all round. Teej is celebrated on the third day of the waxing moon in the month of Sawan (July-August). The festival of Teej reflects the magic of the monsoon. It marks the beginning of a series of fairs and festivals, which are celebrated throughout the autumn and winter months culminating in the spring festival of Gangaur. According to a local saying, Teej is the key to open the stock of festivals locked away for the summer after the spring festival.

CELEBRATIONS

The old tradition still continues. While Gangaur is celebrated in different ways in each of the regions of the state, the celebration of Teej remains exclusive to the Jaipur region. Teej holds a special place in the heart of the people of Jaipur as a time for rejuvenation and revival of spirits after the punishing summers. The festival is made into an even more memorable experience if it rains on this day. People pray for a cool shower at the time of the procession - for Teej without rain is like Christmas without snow.

Every young village girl of the region dreams of being in Jaipur for Teej and a man who wants to win her heart must make her dream come true. Hundreds of couples come to the city, singing and dancing, on bullock carts, camel carts, and open tractor-trailers. They ramble through the city buying knick-knacks and savoring the food. By afternoon the crowds begin to gather on the terraces in a bid to get a vantage viewpoint to see the procession pass by.

PLACES TO VISIT

Jaipur in the state of Rajasthan is the only place to witness the festivities and celebrations of the festival.