Hariyali Teej: Puja timings, rituals and how it resembles Greek mythology

Hariyali Teej is celebrated in mark the holy union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. This monsoon festival might not seem so out of the ordinary given the fact that the union and sacrifice of love abounds in the Hindu Mythology.

Hariyali signifies greenery and green environments due to monsoon showers. Traditionally, the Hariyali Teej festival is celebrated as the reunion of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, who is also known as Teej Mata. Hariyali Teej is celebrated in Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab. The tritiya tithi of Hariyali Teej begins on 01:36 a.m. on August 3 and ends on 10:06 am on August 4.

Hariyali Teej: Here are the rituals every woman follow to celebrate the occassion

Women dress up like newly weds in colours like red and green and try to look their best.

In the evening, the women gather to hear the narration of this Katha and pray for good health of their husbands and husbands-to-be and a blissful married life. Teej Puja begins with the offerings of flowers and fruits to the goddess.

Women dress up like newly weds in colours like red and green and try to look their best to lure their husbands. They apply henna/mehendi and wear colourful bangles which are symbolism of a newly-wed bride.

In the evening, the women gather to hear the narration of Teej Katha, the story of how Parvati won over Shiva and pray for good health of their husbands and husbands-to-be and a blissful married life. Teej Puja begins with the offerings of flowers and fruits to the goddess.
Some of the women also bathe with red mud to purify themselves. Apart from the Puja ceremonies, the tradition of swings fastened to tree branches is also associated to this festival just like people fly kites during Makar Sankranti.

Hariyali Teej: How hariyali Teej draws resemblance from Greek mythology

Talking about mythology, the Greeks and the Hindus share a lot in common. With the Greeks, there is Orpheus and Eurydice, Orpheus who was so struck with the grief of Eurydice’s death that he dared the world of the underworld to see his wife. With the Hindu myths, there is Radha who broke every conventional rule when she fell in love with Krishna. 

Considering the time and age, and the fact that she was older, a married woman her convictions of her endless love can be deemed from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Then there is the myth of Sati who chooses Shiva as her husband, against her father Daksha’s wishes. Upon listening to her father’s open insults of her husband in the public hall, Sati, consumed by fury and humiliation, jumps into the yagna fire.

The parallel that is noticeable here in these Hindu mythologies are how the women braved against every oddity and their grit of firmness. Hariyali Teej is hence more than just a union of two gods. It is about Goddess Parvati and her enduring wait that led to her re-birth until Lord Shiva finally accepted her dedication and married her. Teej celebrates the determination of the Goddess Parvati. This perseverance about a woman to a men can also be seen in other Hindu festivals such as Karva Chauth where a married women fasts from sunrise to moonrise for the safety and longevity of their husbands. This particular day is also assumed that Goddess Durga declared fasting and performing certain rituals will bless women.

Monsoon is seen as a harbinger to a start of another season/life. In the similar fashion,Teej is mostly celebrated by married Hindu women in Northern and Western parts of India to pray for the renewal of the well-being of their husbands and their married life ahead. Women dress up in traditional attires, with the colour green being the popular theme - as the name Hariyali Teej would suggest. The green represents the monsoon season which is supposed to bring greenery all around.