Hariyali Teej 2019: Significance Of Hariyali Teej

Teej is an important festival for the Hindu community. Hariyali Teej is among a total of four Teej celebrations that come in a year. It is celebrated every year in the North Indian states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab. This year, hariyali teej will be celebrated on 3 August.

Teej is also an important festival for the Hindus living in Nepal. It is called the festival of swings and is a celebration filled with joy and grandeur.In this article, let us have a look at the importance and significance of Hariyali Teej. Read on to know more.

When Is Hariyali Teej Celebrated?
Hariyali Teej is celebrated every year on the Tritiya of the Shukla Paksha in the month of Shravan. According to the Gregorian calendar, it will be celebrated on the 26th of July this year.

What Does Hariyali Teej Mean?
Hariyali Teej is a celebration of the onset of monsoons. The word Hariyali can be translated as greenery and hence, Hariyali Teej celebrates the greenery and the prosperity that come along with it.

Hariyali also has another origin. It is said that a friend of Goddess Parvati kidnapped her to rescue her from a marriage against her wishes. The word Hariyali is a combination of two words - 'Har' which means to steal and 'alika' which means a friend.

The Legend Of Hariyali Teej

It is said that when Mata Sati breathed her last, Lord Shiva went into a deep and intense state of meditation. This meditation made him turn away from the duties of the world and its problems. As a solution, Mata Sati took birth again and performed a hard penance to attain Lord Shiva as her husband.

But she was unsuccessful. In this manner, she underwent 107 unsuccessful births. She took a 108th birth as Parvati - the Daughter of Parvata Raj and again began her penance.

Meanwhile, Narada Muni arrived at Parvata Raj's Palace to ask for Parvati's hand in marriage to Lord Vishnu. Parvata Raj gladly agreed. Hearing the news, Parvati began to weep and cry, as she wanted to get married to Lord Shiva.

A friend of hers kidnapped her and took her deep into the mountains. Here, Parvati built a Shiva Linga out of sand in a cave and worshipped it while continuing with her penance.

Finally, Lord Shiva arrived and fulfilled her wish. He married her with a lot of pomp and show. Hariyali Teej is celebrated to mark the occasion of the union of Lord Shiva and Mata Parvati.

Lord Krishna And Hariyali Teej
In the Bhraja Mandal, Hariyali Teej is celebrated as the day of celebration of the love that Mata Radha and Lord Krishna shared. The temples dedicated to Lord Krishna are decorated and swings are set up. People dance and sing devotional songs. The leelas of Krishna are narrated and poojas are done in his honour.

Significance Of The Shravan Month And Hariyali Teej
After the dry and grueling months of the summer season, the month of Shravan arrives with the monsoon and rains.

The month of Shravan is seen as holy for the whole of India, as it brings prosperity with it. For many regions of India, it is the season of tilling and sowing. Good rains in this season also mean a good harvest in the future.

Hariyali Teej celebrates the rain and the prosperity that a good harvest will bring. The women folk gather and pray for a good harvest.

Hariyali Teej And Marital blessings

As Hariyali Teej is the celebration of the day that Goddess Parvati finally fulfilled her wish of attaining Lord Shiva as her husband, the day is considered to be very holy for all the couples. Women come together and pray for healthy and long lives of their husbands. Unmarried women pray to Goddess Parvati for a good husband that they wish for.

It is believed that whoever performs the Hariyali Teej pooja and Vrat whole-heartedly will be blessed with a happy and peaceful married life.