Celebrating Teej: A Nepali Festival of Devotion and Sisterhood

Haritalika Teej, a Hindu festival celebrated by women in Nepal, involves fasting, prayers, and worship of Lord Shiva for family well-being. Women dress in red saris and adorn jewelry symbolizing good fortune. The festival emphasizes devotion, social harmony, and the cultural importance of joint family life.

Across Nepal, Hindu women celebrated Haritalika Teej with fervent fasting and prayers to Lord Shiva on Tuesday, seeking health, prosperity, and longevity for their families.

The festivities saw married women adorned in vibrant red saris, glass-beaded necklaces, and gold ornaments, while many unmarried girls fasted in hopes of finding suitable husbands. The day was marked by joyous dancing and singing, especially at major Shiva temples like Pashupatinath in Kathmandu.

Teej, which starts with Dar—a feast full of delicacies—culminates in a day of fasting, ritual bathing, and night-long worship. The festival, celebrated on the third day of the waxing moon in Bhadra, underscores themes of womanhood, sisterhood, and joint family culture in Nepali society.

(With inputs from agencies.)