Hariyali Teej is also mainly a festival of women. Hariyali Teej, which encompasses the colors of lush nature and love, is a fast observed for unbroken good fortune and the well-being of the family. The festival of Hariyali Teej falls in the month of Sawan, which is considered to be a very holy month for worshiping Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati and fasting dedicated to them. The festival of Hariyali Teej is a symbol of the reunion of Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva. On this day, married women worship Goddess Parvati and pray for a happy married life. Hariyali Teej is usually celebrated two days before Nag Panchami i.e. on Shukla Paksha Tritiya of Shravan month. This festival is celebrated to commemorate the union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. According to legend, this is the day when the Goddess accepted Parvati as her wife after spending 107 births in Shiva’s penance.

Hariyali Teej, also known as Sindhara Teej, Chhoti Teej, Shravan Teej or Sawan Teej, falls on the third day of the new moon of the month of Shravan. On the day of Hartalika Teej, married women observe a fast for the long life of their husbands. This fast is also observed for a happy married life and to get children. This fast is also observed by unmarried girls to get a suitable groom. On the day of Teej, married women observe a waterless fast and worship Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati with 16 adornments. By observing this fast, married women get the blessing of always being fortunate. This fast is considered important for the long life of the husband and the happiness of the family. According to mythology, if a girl’s marriage is getting delayed, she must observe the Hariyali Teej fast.  It is believed that fasting on Hariyali Teej leads to early marriage. It is mentioned in the scriptures that Goddess Parvati did a rigorous penance to get Lord Shiva as her husband, pleased with that, Shiva accepted Goddess Parvati as his wife on the day of Shravan Shukla Teej. Since then, this day, a symbol of unbroken good fortune, has become a festival in the Indian tradition to strengthen the love between husband and wife and to maintain faith and trust between them. Apart from this, this festival also gives the message of sacrifice to husband and wife for each other. On this day, unmarried girls keep a fast and pray for a husband like Shiva, while married women pray to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati to keep their marital life intact.On this day, women worship Goddess Parvati and Shivling by making them out of clay or sand. In the worship, all the Suhaag items are collected and decorated in a plate and offered to Goddess Parvati while praying for unbroken good fortune in their minds and listen to the story of Teej Mata. After the worship, these idols are immersed in a river or any holy reservoir. Along with this, there is a tradition of worshipping trees, lush green crops, Varun Dev and animals and birds on this day.

Why is there a tradition of swinging on Teej day?

Hariyali Teej festival is celebrated with great pomp in Rajasthan, India. Swings are put up at various places. In which the daughter-in-laws and daughters of the house go to swing with great pomp and show along with their friends. If you also remember your childhood days, then you will understand how special swinging is for you. How you forget all the things while swinging and you do not worry about anything. Swinging works like an exercise for our brain. During this, we use our muscles, legs, hands and the lower part of our body completely, due to which the body remains active. During this, the fat accumulated in all the muscles is also burnt and blood circulation also improves. So, for all these reasons, you should swing this Hariyali Teej without looking at your age. According to experts, the happiness and excitement that you feel while swinging, works to reduce your cortisol hormone.  It is like a mood booster which makes your mind happy. Apart from this, it promotes the production of happy hormones in your body and also increases serotonin which improves sleep. In this way, it can help in improving your mental state. Swinging increases your focus and helps in alerting the mind. What happens is that some part of your brain which is less used gets activated. Apart from this, it speeds up the neural activities of your brain and then becomes an exercise for all the nerves. Therefore, on this day, women keep fast for their husbands, worship Shiv-Gauri, swing and sing Sawan songs-Malhar in melodious voice.

How is the first Teej celebrated after marriage?

This festival of joy and enthusiasm along with worship and prayers fills new colors in life as a traditional festival. It brings intimacy in the married life and also binds the family and society in the thread of affection. Shravani Teej is a festival steeped in the colors of nature. On this day, wearing green bangles, green clothes, doing the sixteen makeup and applying mehendi has special significance. On this festival, newly married girls are called from their in-laws to their parents’ house on the first Sawan after marriage. According to popular tradition, Sindhara is sent from the in-laws’ house of the newly married girl on this festival, in which clothes, jewelry, makeup items, mehendi, Ghevar-Fani and sweets etc. are sent. In the first Sawan, girls stay at their mother’s house for a month. This was the custom in the olden times, because in those times girls did not have much freedom to roam around. Therefore, in the first Sawan, girls were called to their mother’s house so that they could relive their childhood with their friends.  And then on the last day of Shravan, on the day of Rakshabandhan, she used to go to her in-laws’ house after tying Rakhi to her brothers.

What is the scientific importance of Hariyali Teej?

According to the scriptures, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati have blessed this day to be a day of good fortune for married women. It is believed that married women who worship Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati with sixteen adornments on this day, attain happiness and good fortune. On this day, floral ornaments are given more importance than gold and silver ornaments, so every woman should adorn herself with flowers on this day, apart from this, applying mehendi on this day is very auspicious. It is believed that applying mehendi provides coolness to the body and if someone is suffering from skin related diseases, then one gets relief from them too. On the other hand, the sindoor applied on the forehead is a sign of marital bliss on one hand, on the other hand, applying it also leads to the flow of positive energy. The same belief is about Mangalsutra, wearing it stops the flow of negative energy coming into life. Therefore, wearing ornaments on the occasion of Hariyali Teej is of greater importance. Actually, along with beauty, one benefit of wearing gold ornaments is that it does not cause heart related diseases.  Apart from this, wearing bracelets or bangles in the hands is also believed to keep blood circulation right. On the other hand, scientists believe that wearing silver anklets strengthens the bones of the feet. Wearing jewellery in the ears on the special occasion of Hariyali Teej relieves mental stress and ear piercing improves eyesight.

What to do on Hariyali Teej?

According to religious beliefs, on Hariyali Teej, yellow clothes should be offered to Lord Shiva and red clothes to Maa Parvati, along with this, the sindoor offered to Maa Parvati should be applied in the parting of hair as prasad. It is said that this increases the lifespan of the husband. Apart from this, it is very important to listen to the fasting story related to Hariyali Teej, in the evening, light a mustard oil lamp near the Peepal tree and donate something to the girls according to your capacity. Apart from this, there is a rule that every person observing the fast of Hariyali Teej should keep in mind, do not let anger enter your mind at all on this day.