As the monsoon rains come to revive landscapes across India, Jaipur gets set to the celebrations of one of the most loved festivals—Hariyali Teej. This is a festival of great energy woven with tradition, and a time of joyful celebration, especially for women. Celebrated in many of the northern states of India, Hariyali Teej has been considered as an offering to the rain showering monsoon, which brings with it a tinge of greenery and thereby renewal. The festival of Teej is not just a festival for the people of Rajasthan, especially Jaipur; it is a celebration of cultural heritage, living in harmony with the community, and enjoyment across the country.
It starts from the preparation of exquisite sweets like Ghewar and includes traditional rituals that are observed by married and unmarried women. From singing, and dancing, to swinging on a beautifully decorated jhoola's, it encompasses various customs that have been passed down through generations.
The ladies adorn new clothes, jewellery, and apply intricate designs of henna on their hands. The streets of Jaipur are brought to life with a grand procession of Teej, in which the goddess Parvati is taken across the walled city in a grand chariot made of silver. Let us explore the different aspects of the Teej festival celebration in Jaipur city, from elaborate customs and rituals to delicious food preparations which make this festival truly special in all its manifestations.
Celebrations of Teej in Jaipur
In Jaipur, the Teej celebration commences along with the rituals and celebrations, showcasing the colourful culture of Rajasthan. The celebrations start with the worship of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Married women fast and pray for the welfare and prosperity of their husbands while unmarried girls do so hoping to get a perfect match. One of the most visual treats of Teej is that of women clad in bright lehariya sarees, mainly green or red to depict the lushness of the monsoon season. Applying henna on hands, swinging on decorated jhoolas, and singing traditional folk songs add to the festive spirit.
Radhika Agarwal, creator at thefoodiedevi states, "Teej is quite close to our hearts and signifies a time to cherish the familial bond and celebrate cultural traditions. It's also an occasion to pay respect to the strength and resilience of the women in our family, regardless of their relationship status."
Women share gifts and sweets with each other, and the entire locality resonates with laughter and fun. The day before Teej is called Sinjara, and it is on this day that women are given gifts, sweets, and sixteen items of makeup to be used by them from their maternal homes, which symbolizes blessings, good luck, and prosperous married life.
Food Preparations All Over the City of Jaipur
Food may be credited to having a pivotal role on Teej, as women prepare numerous typical dishes on the occasion. The Jain community experiences the most auspicious and sacred four months in "chaumasa" or "chaturmas", according to the Hindu calendar. During this time, starting with the onset of monsoon, Jains, especially the elderly practice dietary restriction and refrain from eating many ingredients including the root vegetables like carrot, colocasia, potato, zimikand, sweet potato and alike. This however does not let the celebration lose its charm and fervour. The festive dining affair is equally tempting. The raw banana dishes take the lead and include many recipes—from snacks to sweet dishes and more. From kacche kele ki baati, kachhe kele ki sabzi, dahi aloo(for those who do not follow the strict diet), puri, kheer to ghewar—all these dishes serve the appetite on the day of Haryali Teej.
This is not all; ghewar is also served in a very special way, like serving it hot by pouring hot homemade chashni over the store-bought ghewar and serving it hot. Some freshly prepare the khoya or mawa at home and layer the store-brought ghewar and generously layer with it, making it richer and decadent. Rabri ghewar is another way to enjoy ghewar on Hariyali Teej. These may be homemade or brought from the market.
Ghewar, the highlight delicacy of the festival of Teej is a traditional sweet from Rajasthan that runs deep with the celebrations. A uniquely prepared honeycomb-like sweet that is only available during the monsoon season, when its base is dripped in ghee and sugar syrup. The moist and humid weather contributes to a very crucial role in getting just the perfect texture of the ghewar.
As for Jaipur, some renowned sweet shops for this sweet are Laxmi Mishtan Bhandar and Sodhiya Halwai. Divya from jaipurfoodcoaster says, "Teej for our family is a community affair where the entire neighbourhood comes together to celebrate married women. The festival is synonymous with Ghewar and only Ghewar. Before Teej, Paneer and Rabdi Ghewar are exchanged or sent to relatives across states. For our family, Laxmi Mishtan Bhandar stands tall with the most relishing Ghewar varieties. In recent times, flavours like Lotus Biscoff, Nutella and strawberry have also made their way in Ghewar flavours."
Apart from Ghewar, other items like aloo puri, kheer, pua, and other festive delicacies are prepared. 'Pakki rasoi' tradition makes sure that a platter of anything which is fried is there to make the occasion a culinary delight for the whole family. Radhika also shares, "Teej is incomplete without a feast of delicious traditional dishes. Apart from Ghewar, my mother sometimes prepares Dal Baati Churma, Pakoras and special fasting foods like Sabudana Khichdi and Sprouts fruit salad."
Importance of Ghewar and Sinjara
Ghewar holds a special position in the Teej celebrations—not as a mithai, but as an icon of festivity and tradition. Circular in basic shape, this sweet delicacy is created out of flour, sugar syrup, and ghee and forms an indispensable part of this festival. As mentioned above, it is an art to cook ghewar, the perfect weather with much meticulousness adds to its perfection. It occupies a highly significant position in terms of history and culture within the Rajasthani tradition; especially, during Teej.
A day before Teej, the Sinjara ritual is celebrated, on this day married girls are showered with numerous gifts and sweets by their maternal homes. This practice is predominantly followed by the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. Sinjara means blessings, by this the married daughter's bond with the maternal family is reinforced.- Clothes and jewellery are sent in a Sinjara along with sweets like Ghewar, Balushahi, Shakar Parey, and also sixteen makeup items known as 16 shringar.
Richa and Ratika, the cauldronsisterss, explain, "For Teej, Ghewar takes centrestage, but kheer puri is a must in our home. The fun part is that, it is believed that during Sawan, Saas (mother-in-law) and Bahu (daughter-in-law) shouldn't stay together for stronger bonds, so one of them should go to their maternal place. On Teej, they do pooja together and exchange sweet gestures. The daughter-in-law gives Bayna, a token of love and respect to the mother-in-law in the form of sweets, gifts and alike. She then in return gives lovely clothing, jewellery and sweets to her daughter-in-law.
Teej Procession in Jaipur
The magnificent Teej procession in Jaipur attracts not only locals but also tourists—it begins with a silver palanquin carrying the goddess Teej, or Parvati, who is carried through the streets of the Walled City. The palanquin is decorated with flowers, and the goddess dons traditional costumes. Many traditional folk musicians, dancers, and other performers take part in the celebration as a part of the procession route. The streets of Jaipur have been adorned with lights and banners of every imaginable kind, and the place gets crowded with people. A remarkable richness and festivity of mood are underway with folk songs and dances, flowers, and the aroma that permeates the atmosphere in every place possible. In actuality, the procession brings out the beautiful blending of devotion and festivity that Rajasthan's rich cultural heritage represents.