Haritalika Teej 2011| Festival of Women in Nepal

Haritalika Teej is one of the most important fasting festival for Hindu women. On the occasion of the Teej, women starve themselves for the whole day by singing and dancing near the temple of Lord Shiva making wishes the long life by the married women. While the unmarried women observe the fasting wishing to have a handsome husband and happy married life.
There is one ancient belief about the Teej that once Goddess Parvati had set intense austerities to get Lord Shiva as her husband and was also successful to make him her husband. And people believe that one who worships Lord Shiva and Parvati on the day, will receive bless from Goddess to make their married life more peaceful.
This year Teej is going to be celebrated on 31st August 2011.

Teej - Women's Festival of Hindus

In every Hindu festival or a religious ceremony a women is an equal participant as a man. There is one festival 

which is purely and exclusively for women. This is the "TEEJ" festival when women have the whole stage to themselves and menfolk, and children are shooed away. It is the wish of every woman in the world to have the best possible life partner. In the Hindu society, this wish takes on religious overtones and women not only pray to have best life partner but also fast and pray for the longevity and prosperity of their husband once they are married.

There is a legend surrounding this festival. In the mythological past Parbati, the daughter of Himalaya Parbat, hence the name Parbati, fell for Lord Shiva who, among gods, is also referred to as divine ascetic.