By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Aug. 21: Hindu women throughout the county are observing Haritalika Teej festival on Friday wishing for a prosperous life and perpetual luck and happiness of their husband.
The annual festival of Haritalika Teej is popular among the Nepali women. On this day, the women don red attires and put bindi on foreheads, red bangles in wrists and gold jewelries and vermillion powder.
On the occasion of Teej that falls on the third day after the New Moon of Bhadra, the women observe a day-long fasting. They worship Lord Shiva and to make the offerings of chandan, milk, sal tree leaves along with other pooja items.
The festival of Teej is a three-day festival and each day has its own significance. The first day is called ‘Dar Khane Din’ and on this day, the married women visit their mother’s place, enjoy delicious foods and sweets and make merry. They gather at one place and perform traditional dance and sing devotional songs. The special food called ‘dar’ is eaten till midnight after which the 24-hour-long fast begins.
The second or the fasting day of the festival is dedicated to pooja and prayers. They take a day-long fasting wishing for a healthy and prosperous life of their husband.
The third day of Teej festival is called Rishi Panchami. On this day, the seven sages of the Hindu pantheon are worshiped by the women in a belief that it will clean all sins of the previous year. They take a holy bath with red mud found on the roots of the sacred Datiwan bush along with its leaves. After this, they sit in a semicircle while a priest sitting in the middle chants devotional prayers. The fast ends after completing all pooja and drinking water drop from the toes of their husband.
Pashupati Temple premises, which used to flush with women dressed up in red attires, singing, dancing in a cheerful atmosphere on the day of Teej will, however, be remain deserted this year due to restriction imposed to control the spread of coronavirus.
Pashupati Temple has been closed for the past five months with the enforcement of lockdown. Considering the increasing cases of coronavirus infection across the nation, especially in the Kathmandu Valley, the three District Administrative Offices have imposed a prohibitory order effective from Wednesday night, prompting the women to limit their Teej celebrations in home this year.