Tuesday, 1 September

Kajari Teej

कजरी तीज

Kajari Teej, also known as Kajli Teej or Badi Teej, falls on the third day of the dark fortnight of Bhadrapada and is the second of the three monsoon Teej festivals dedicated to goddess Parvati, the others being Hariyali Teej in Shravana and Hartalika Teej in Bhadrapada Shukla. The festival is observed with greatest fervor across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar where it marks the height of the post monsoon greenery and the seasonal longing of married women for their husbands and of unmarried girls for the divine union of Shiva and Parvati that they seek to emulate. The name kajari derives from the dark monsoon clouds and the folk songs by the same name that are sung in groups by women on the swings tied to neem and peepal trees, the lyrics weaving the themes of viraha, monsoon beauty, and the lila of Radha and Krishna. In Bundi and Banaras the festival is observed with grand processions of the Teej Mata idol through the city streets, accompanied by camels, horses, folk dancers, and the gathered citizenry. Married women fast through the day from food and water for the long life of their husbands, sing kajari songs in courtyards through the evening, and break the fast only after sighting the rising moon and offering arghya with neem leaves, sattu, and seasonal fruits.