Teejri or Tijri is one of the most important Sindhi Festivals. It is similar to the Teej festival celebrated in Northern India.
Teejri is a festival celebrated by Sindhis. Teejri falls on the third day after the full moon of the Hindu Month, Shravan. The month of Shravan is considered the holiest Month of the Hindu calendar. It generally occurs in August.
In the Hindu religion, great importance is given to agriculture and rain. Some people believe that the Teejri is a celebration of the arrival of the Monsoon or Rainy season which ensures a good harvest and plenty of food for everyone. It is also considered a festival representing fertility. Most Hindu festivals including Pongal, Baisakhi, Lohri, Onam, etc revolve around Agriculture. They are celebrated at the time of Sowing Seeds or Harvesting the Crop.
Teejri is one of the most prominent festivals among Sindhis. It is especially important for Women and Girls because it relates to their husbands and to be husbands. Married women observe full days Vrat or fast and pray for a long and healthy life for their husbands, young Girls observe fast and pray to be blessed with a Good Husband. The women fast for the whole day. Some women do not even drink water for the entire day.
Some people joke that the festival of Teejri is Insurance for Sindhi Husbands, as their loving wives pray for and ensure a long life for them.
Teejri begins a day earlier. All the Women and Girls from the family get together in the evening before Teejri to apply Mehandi to each other. Nowadays, people call Professional Mehandi Artists to apply mehandi to the Women of the whole family. Many shops also arrange Mehandi Artists outside their shop, who apply Mehandi. It is the latest trend and more and more people visit these shops. There is great demand for Mehandi artists as everyone wants the best Mehandi design. There is a long line of women outside every shop, waiting for their turn to get the Mehandi.
Late in the night, women eat heartily in anticipation of the fast the next day. Rabdi or Sweet Pudding is in great demand as it is very tasty and provides the much-required strength and energy to fasting ladies for the next day. Some women observe Nirjal Upwas (Fast), they would not even have Jal (Water) for the whole day. Nirjal Upwas or Fast is extremely difficult. But, nothing matters for Sindhi women more than the well-being and Long Life of their Husbands.
Teejri is unlike other Sindhi festivals which have lost their shine over time. Many Sindhi festivals are now celebrated by fewer people than before. But, Teejri is not one of them. Its popularity has increased with time. The Mehandi Functions have become Lavish and so has the Pooja on Teejri, and most importantly, the dinner that is arranged after the Moon is sighted and Vrat or Fast is ended.
On Teejri day, early in the morning Women and Girls get ready and go to the nearest temple and perform Pooja. Traditionally, Sindhi women would sprout moong dal (green gram) seeds in earthen pots. These sprouted grains were seen as symbols of fertility and prosperity. Then they would be used in the pooja. Some women made a sweet drink from the sprouts, to be consumed after the fast.
Currently, the Pooja Thali consists of Flowers, Sindoor, Lamp, Agarbatti etc. The women go to the nearest Maharaj or Brahmin who recites Teejri Katha. This Katha is a very important part of Teejri. Every woman or girl who is observing the Teejri fast visits the Pooja along with all the women from the family.
After returning from the Pooja the real fun starts. People have family get-togethers where they play games and pass time. As all the women are on fast there is no Food or drinks. Some families flock to Cinema Halls to watch Movies.
In old days, Girls used to make Jhoolas or swings by tying ropes on trees. They used to play almost the whole day on these swings. But times have changed and there are no trees where one could make Jhoolas. Also, swings are now available in the Garden of almost every Building Complex. Moreover, people now play games mostly on mobile phones. Even Teejri is celebrated more on Social media networks. Girls Share Pictures of their Mehandi Designs in Groups and there is almost an announced competition going on on Facebook, WhatsApp etc.
As the day passes, some women find it difficult to continue with the Vrat or Fast. Some women even break the fast after performing pooja of their favorite God and asking for forgiveness.
But most women break the fast only after sighting the Teejri Moon. Women offer Argh or water to the moon, perform Pooja, and break the fast by consuming the first bite of the food from the hands of their husbands.
As it is the rainy season in August, the moon sometimes remains hidden behind the clouds. And the Fasting women are unable to break the fast on time. I remember, Many years ago the Moon did not show up at all. So the Women were confused about how to break the fast. Swami Shanti Prakash Maharaj came to their rescue and told all the women to Pray to Lord Krishna in place of the Moon and Break the fast.
After the pooja of the Moon, women also perform the Pooja of their husbands. They then touch their husbands' feet for blessings. Touching of the husband's feet by wife is a regressive practice and should have been stopped long ago. When we say that men and women are equal why should a woman touch her husband's feet? Why not vice versa? This happens in families with old thinking. Modern and educated couples consider each other equal and respect each other. So modern husbands don't allow their wife to touch their feet.
Husbands observe fast for the well-being and Long life of their wives. This is because they treat each other as equals. This only increases the Love and respect they have for each other.
The festival of Teejri has evolved with the times and that is why it is celebrated every year with greater enthusiasm. It symbolizes the Love between husband and wife. It is different from the Western culture where no such festivals are present. Festivals like Teejri make the Sindhi or Hindu Culture unique.
Kokee.in wishes everyone a very HAPPY TEEJRI in Advance.
Comments