Teej Festival 2012 begins in Jaipur

Five-Day long Teej Festival begins on Sunday in Jaipur to mark the festival of joy, devotion and cuisines. On Sunday a royal procession of Teej Mata will be started in the evening in Jaipur and various other cultural programmes will also be organized during the festival. Teej festival is an important festival for married women, and much anticipated monsoon festival. It commemorates the reunion of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, after she paid a penance of 100 years separation. The invocation of Parvati's blessing during the festival is believed to bring about continued marital bliss. Teej is a major festival of Rajasthan celebrated mainly by women. Teej celebrates the arrival of rain and this year after a long span of heat weather is pleasant and women are celebrating the festival with joy on Sunday. Many local fairs are being organized in various parts of the state where women are offering prayers to the goddess Parvati. Tourism department will organize a royal procession of Teej mata in the evening in Pink city jaipur. Attractively decorated elephants and horses will be a part of this procession. 5 days food and craft fair is also being organized at jaipur where folk artists of Rajasthan and Gujrat will present their art. 

Rituals during the Teej Festival: Girls engaged to be married receive a gift from their future in-laws on the day before the festival. The gift consists of henna, bangles, a special dress, and sweets. Married daughters are given a number of gifts, clothes and sweets by their mother. After the worship has been completed, they're passed on to the mother-in-law.
Teej Festival: 22nd July to 26th July 2012 at Jaipur