Teejतीज

Teej (तीज) refers collectively to three festivals that fall in the months of Shravana and Bhadrapada during the monsoon season: Hariyali Teej (Green Teej, Shravana Shukla Tritiya), Kajari Teej or Badi Teej (Bhadrapada Krishna Tritiya), and Hartalika Teej (Bhadrapada Shukla Tritiya). The word "Teej" comes from "Tritiya," the third day of the lunar fortnight. All three festivals are dedicated to Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva, and in each, women observe a vrat (fast) and perform puja for the well-being of their husbands or — for unmarried women — for a devoted future husband, following the example of Parvati, who underwent 108 lifetimes of tapasya to win Shiva's acceptance. Hariyali Teej is the most joyful and widely celebrated, associated with green attire, decorated swings (jhula), mehndi (henna), traditional folk songs, and the magnificent procession in Jaipur. Hartalika Teej, observed mainly in Maharashtra, involves the strictest nirjala (waterless) fast. Teej festivals are most prominent in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh.