The festival of Teej: time to promote virtues and break superstitions
Kathmandu, Sept
5: The advent of autumn season in Nepal is a harbinger of a long list of
festivals in the country. And with a majority population made up of Hindus with
over 80 per cent (81.34 %), large number of festivals observed during the
period between mid-August to mid-November are Hindu festivals.
And one such
festival is Teej. Regarded as one of the greatest festivals of Nepali Hindu
women, Teej falls on the third day of the Bhadra shuklapaksha (full moon day)
and is celebrated for three days. It is being celebrated on Bhadra 30 in the
Lunar calendar or September 30 this year.
Teej is an
age-old festival dedicated to Hindu Goddess Parbati and her union with the Lord
Shiva (as defined by the Hindu mythology). Traditionally it has been observed
particularly by married women offering ardent respect to the Lord Shiva and
wishing for long life, happiness and prosperity of their husbands and for
marital bliss. Single women also observe the festival wishing for a good
husband.
Savouring
delicacies locally known as dar, observing a day-long fast (some prefer not to
even drink water), and singing and dancing and Rhishi Panchami Pooja are the central attractions of the festival.
On the occasion of Teej, women mainly who are already in conjugal life visit
their parental home to celebrate the festival at the invitations of parents/brothers.
Rich in cultural
and religious values, the festival is equally important in view of social
aspect too. In a male dominant society like in Nepal where women are still
treated as the second class citizens, the festival symbolizes women freedom.
Even though, it
is not a big thing for urban women to visit their parents and enjoy day outs
rural women in marital status still find it rare to go to parents' home, and
share good moments with them. This is because they are too occupied with
household chores and looking after the family. This, the festival provides them
an opportunity to keep themselves free from ‘imposed’ household responsibility
even though for a few days.
In view of
journalist and Media Advocacy Group President Babita Basnet
the festival symbolises women
liberty as it gives women an opportunity to be free from
daily households works for a brief time and pour out sufferings and miseries through songs which have been popular since
the tradition as Teej songs.
But with the
changing time, lyrics of the Teej songs are
changing for the worse and some
singers have been criticized for giving them a 'bad taste'. They have also been
accused of promoting 'vulgarity' by ignoring the real meaning and gist of the
original songs.
Journalist Basnet
too is concerned about the modern Teej songs as they do not carry on the
importance and values of the original Teej songs. The modern Teej songs have
just promoted vulgarity and spreading negative message about the festival to
the public domain, she says. Basnet feels that people who think that such songs
advocate for women's rights have not able to understand the real meaning of
women rights. She insisted on keeping the real
value of Teej songs and festival alive.
Moreover, a
certain group of the people in the society have also been raising objections to
a growing trend of eating dar many days
before the actual days of the festival, terming the act as just a ‘waste of
time and money’.
However, Laxmi
Gautam of Basundhara and Dibya Kafle of Baluwatar, representing the working
class women, see no problem in utilising free time they rarely get from their
busy life to enjoy dar with their loved ones including sisters and friends even
if it is few weeks before the festival.
Woman rights
activist and the President of the Story Kitchen, Jaya Luintel takes the
festival as the best moment to have a meeting with childhood friends and
parents. Though Luintel wholeheartedly admires the cultural values attached to
the three-day festival, she too feels the modern Teej songs have lost values
and have instead objectified women as sex symbols.
She also strongly
objects to the celebration of the Rhishi Panchami during which worships are offered to the
seven major sages seeking apology for the ‘sins’ the women unknowingly commit
during menstruation.
In traditional
Hindu society, it is believed that the monthly cycle is a ‘curse’ to women and
women in this period are not allowed to enter the kitchen at least for four
days of the period and suggested to also stay away from the men in the family
and not even touch plants. In its severest form known as Chaupadi in the
western Nepal, women are forced to live for those days and nights in cowsheds
away from the house.
Menstruation is a
biological phenomenon gifted to women by nature and is meant for continuing the
human existence. “So how could such natural gift be a sin,” she says calling on
Teej observing women not to be the mute followers of the superstition which
just pushes the women to an inferior position than men in the society. She also
suggests women to take care of their health while observing the day-long fast.