Teejri or what is commonly also
known as Teej, is a Sindhi festival celebrated by women of the community. As
history narrates through the elder ladies in the family, it is a fast that is
kept for the longevity of their husbands. Although like every culture, this one
too has been twisted around and tweaked a bit. Today this celebration is also
performed by young unmarried girls with the wish to get a good husband and
happy life after marriage.
Very similar to Karva Chauth of the
Punjabi custom, Teejri is a day of fasting that is broken with a certain prayer
followed by looking at the moon through a sieve.
There is usually a story that talks
about the significance of rituals. The story for Teej goes as following...
In a family of 5 siblings, four of
which were boys, one of them was getting married. The sister was fasting
coincidentally on the same day. At dinner time she refused to eat until she saw
the moon. Her brothers said they wouldn't eat until she ate. But they were
obviously very hungry so amongst themselves decided to show her the reflection
of a diya and tell her it is the moon so she would break the fast and they
could all celebrate the marriage with a scrumptious meal. That is indeed what
exactly happened, only for her to go back and see her husband lying unconscious
on the floor at home. She realized her blunder and prayed sincerely to the moon
asking for forgiveness and her husband to come back to her. Her deep devotion
and honest plea was finally answered and her husband, revived.
To this day, ladies follow the same tradition
and ask goddess Teej for long and fulfilling lives for their husband.
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