Teej is a seasonal festival held at the onset of the monsoon in Northern India. It symbolizes the coming of the monsoons. It is celebrated with much joy in the states of Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Delhi. It is basically a women’s festival. It is about rejoicing in goddess Parvati’s marriage with Lord Shiva. Married women pray to Shiv and Parvati to give them a long and successful married life. With the first drops of rain, festivities explode with pomp and show. Flower decorated swings are hung on trees. Women flashing colorful clothes and jungling bangles swing and dance. They also thank the rain God for rains. Married girls go to their mother’s house for feast and fun and get gifts from their parents. A special sweet called ghevar is eaten too. The Unit 8A of AIKGA celebrated Teej soberly because of a mishap in a member’s family.
The meeting was kept at Seema Jain’s farm house. It started with bhajans after paying homage to the departed soul. It started with Bhajan – ‘bin piye nasha ho jata hai jab surat dekhun bhole ki’. After two three bhajans, Sunita brought up a patriotic song ‘har karam apna karenge aye watan tere liye’. Hats off to Sunita for her patriotism. I have seen her bringing up songs, talk and discussions about our Amar jawans who have laid down their lives for the sake of India and Indians. Uma ji recited a poem on the festival of Teej and how it is an assertion on the importance of women in life. Normally all festivals by and large have women fasting for her husband, dressing up to attract and please the man. Does the man ever even reciprocate? His love is authoritative and mature.
After this thought provoking poem of Umaji, Rekha ji picked up romantic Teej songs from her pitara. Everyone appreciated and clapped to cheer her up. Meanwhile the generous hostess Seema started distributing beautiful gifts of chudi and bandhana made of motiya flowers representing its fragrance. They all decorated themselves with bodhna which was liked very much by all. Everyone was ready for the photo session. It was a pleasure being part of this session. Almost all the members were dressed up in green sarees with matching jewelry and motia flower tikka. You can see the group photo and judge for yourself.
Now comes the most interesting part of the meeting. Anamika Dharker, talented daughter in law of Sadhana Dharkar taught us how to make long chutiya of flowers and a mehndi cone. You can see in the photograph both the chutiya and the cone. Everyone clapped for her. Manju bhabhi presented her a lovely gift on behalf of all of us.
Pet Puja was the next item on the agenda. What a beautiful and well kept home surrounded by luxurious plants and trees. I got almost lost in that Greenland and had to pull myself from the spic and span green world. May God bless the family with peaceful lives in that exotic place.
As soon as we entered the dining room the sweet smell of food attracted us. It was served in stainless steel crockery with all Teej savories. Garam garam samosa, meetha khatta umra, aloo, dahi vada, kheer with mangoes and small pieces of paneer in it and small lovely ghevar mithai, achars and chutney with trained staff who gave us five star serving experience. To top it all, each chair had a small table to put your thali on. It did not stop there. There was a parting gift also. A well decorated tokri full of a variety of namkeen packaged together. There were two members of the staff at the gate to thank us all. One to transport and put us in while the second was there to put the goodies in the car. Thank you Seema Ji for being such a good hostess. We all know that no festival goes without goodies from Manju bhabhiji. She gave us all one beautiful tokri of ghevar from Haldiram to celebrate her grand daughter in law’s first Teej. Thanks a lot Manju bhabhi, may God bless us again and again with your presence.
