According to religious belief, Goddess Parvati observed this fast to get Lord Shiva as her husband. As a result, Lord Shiva was pleased with her penance and accepted her as his wife. It is believed that on the day of Shravan Shukla Tritiya, Goddess Parvati got Lord Shiva as her husband after a hundred years of penance. According to this belief, women worship Goddess Parvati. Applying mehendi, wearing bangles, swinging, and singing folk songs on Teej have special importance. On the day of the Teej festival, swings are put up on the branches of big trees in open spaces, on the roof of the house, or on the verandah on which women swing. Fairs are also organized at many places on the day of Hariyali Teej. Just like the mehendi on hands, a blanket of greenery spreads on nature too. Seeing this eye-catching beauty, a sweet melody automatically starts playing in the mind and the heart dances with joy. At this time, the showers of the rainy season completely soak nature. Women observe fast on Sawan Teej. Unmarried girls observe this fast to get a suitable groom and married women observe it to wish for a happy married life.
Teej arrives as a form of rebirth and re-energizing after the scorching summer season. If it rains on this day, it becomes even more memorable. People wish for a cool shower in the Teej procession. Seeing the dark clouds swirling in the sky at the end of summer, the call of the nightingale, and the drizzle of rain at the beginning of the monsoon fills the heart with joy. In such a situation, Indian folk life celebrates the festival of Kajli or Hariyali Teej. This festival is known as Kajli or Kajjali Teej due to the dark clouds swirling in the sky and Teej due to the greenery in the entire nature. On this festival, girls are called back from their in-laws to their parents’ house. After marriage, when the first Sawan comes, the girl is not left at her in-laws’ house. Sinjara is sent from the in-laws’ house of the newly married girl on this festival. Sinjara is celebrated a day before Hariyali Teej. On this day, clothes, jewelry, makeup items, mehndi, and sweets are sent from the in-laws’ house of the newly married girl. Applying mehndi on this day has special significance.
Women worship Goddess Parvati dressed in attractive clothes. In Rajasthan, girls who are engaged receive gifts from their future in-laws a day before the wedding. This gift is called Shinjhar (shringar) in the local language. Shinjhar contains many items, such as mehndi, lakh bangles, a special dress called Lahariya, which is tied and dyed, and a sweet called Ghevar. It contains many gifts, which include clothes and sweets. The mother sends it to her married daughter. After the puja, the ‘baya’ is handed over to the mother-in-law. In eastern Uttar Pradesh too, there is a tradition of sending sweets, clothes, etc. from the girl’s parents’ home if the girl is in her in-laws’ home and from her in-laws’ home if she is in her parents’ home. This is called Teej ki Bhet in the local language. Be it Rajasthan or eastern Uttar Pradesh, there is a tradition of calling the newly married girls from their in-laws’ home to their parent’s home in the month of Saavan. All married women adorn themselves, especially on this day. In the evening, they dress up and celebrate the festival on the banks of the lake and sing Kajli songs while swinging in the gardens.
On this occasion, young girls apply mehendi on their hands. Teej songs are sung while applying mehendi on the hands. The entire atmosphere is overwhelmed with the adornments. The biggest specialty of this festival is that women apply mehendi on their hands by making various types of designs. Applying alta on the feet is a sign of the marital bliss of women. Married women also apply mehendi on their hands and feet which is called ‘Mehendi Mandana’. On this day, girls pray for their husbands who have gone to a faraway land to come back on Teej, which is also expressed in their folk songs. The special work on Teej day is to tie swings on the branches of big trees in an open space. Swings are a very pleasing experience for women. Swinging by holding a rope with mehndi-applied hands while singing Malhar is a unique experience. If swings are not put up on Teej in Sawan, then what is Sawan? A few days before Teej, swings are put on the branches of trees, on the beams of the roof of the house, or the beams of the verandah, and women dressed up with their friends, swing while singing folk songs, Kajari, etc. The entire atmosphere becomes full of joy, song, and music with the sweet rhythmic tunes of their songs.