Hariyali Teej 2018: Here's why Hariyali Teej is more than just a monsoon festival

Hariyali Teej is celebrated in most parts of India as the union between 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.

The greater picture however to consider is that, for people of a particular faith, myths ring with truth. History became myths, myths became legends and legends become a thing of the past. They truth they see is in the continuity of the strand which gave births to festivals celebrated, day to be revered or fast to observe. 

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.