Hartalika Teej, a beautiful festival for women to impress Goddess Parvati who blesses them with a marriage like Shiva & Parvati, or healthy life of their husbands.
Hartalika Teej 2015 date is September 16, as per the Hindu calendar. The Teej festival is subdivided into three categories:
Haryali Teej
Kajari Teej
Hartalika Teej
Haritalika Teej is basically a North Indian festival, which is celebrated amongst the people of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Hartalika Teej is typically a women’s festival celebrated by the females of India to enchant Goddess Parvati for her blessings. The blessings are targeted for good health and long life of the husbands of married women, whereas unmarried women pray for a husband like Lord Shiva.
Indians believe that on this auspicious day, Goddess Parvati was accepted by Lord Shiva. As per the story, Mata Parvati was in love with Shiva, but he was an ascetic and was not aware about her. In order to impress him, the goddess worshiped for many years in the Himalayas. Finally, Lord Shiva noticed Goddess Parvati and realized her love and devotion, and they got married. Since then, the goddess is being worshipped as ‘Hartalika’ and ‘Teej Mata’ by the Indian ladies.
Unlike other forms of Teej, Hartalika Teej is celebrated at the end of the Hindu month ‘Sawan’ and beginning of ‘Bhadrapad’ or ‘Bhado’. Basically, the beautiful Hartalika Teej day falls on the third day of the fortnight of Bhadra month. According to the western calendar, Hindu month Bhado falls between August-September. Mostly, it has seen that the Hartalika Teej date comes in the beginning of September month.
Women celebrate Haryali Teej and Kajari Teej by visiting their parent’s house, but they come back to their in-laws’ house for Hartalika Teej. As they are back to their husbands, they try to look most beautiful by wearing new clothes, glittering jewelry and tempting bangles. Teej festival offers a chance to the women for wearing all the accessories of Shringar (make-up) on this day. Some of those Shringar accessories are such that they put mehandi tattoos on hands, Mahavar designs on their feet, kohl in their eyes, Bindi on their forehead and many more. As it is all done on the occasion dedicated to Mata Parvati, women also decorate the idols of Maa Parvati in the same way.
In Maharashtra, women typically wear green Saris, green Bangles and golden bindi on this special day and gift colorfully decorated coconuts to other females.
Hartalika Teej is basically a three day festival. First day is followed by the gathering of all ladies singing and dancing together. They also decorate each other as well as apply Mehndi on hands and the day ends by exchanging gifts between the daughter-in-law and mother-in-law. The enthusiasm for the festival can easily be seen in women of all ages. Women end this festival by preparing delicious recipes to break their fast.
http://www.astrocamp.com/hartalika-teej-2012-vrat-katha.html
