
Teej
is a colorful festival dedicated to Goddess Parvati. Teej fairs
commemorate the day when the Goddess was united with Lord Shiva. Teej
fairs are held at many places but a major Teej fair is organized in
Jaipur every year in July or early August. Large number of tourists
attend these fairs and add exuberance to the celebration of the
festival.
Teej Fairs of Rajasthan
Teej is a major festival for the women of Rajasthan and thus the
celebrations are also great. Teej is celebrated with utmost dedication
and loyalty by the womenfolk of Rajasthan. Numerous fairs are held in
Rajasthan at a definite period of time. In the month of July/August, the
pink city of India, Jaipur comes up with a major Teej Fair. Along with
the people of Rajasthan many domestic and international tourists
participate in the cultural and community activities. This provides the
tourists a splendid opportunity to have an insight into the Rajasthani
life.
Highlights of Teej Fair
Teej fair is well organized by the natives of Rajasthan. Teej fair is
popularly known as
'Saawan Mela'. These fairs lasts at least for
four days. People join their hands with the Department of Tourism to
organize the grand festival mela. At the time of Teej, large number of
crafts bazaars and food courts mushroom in the city. Teej also marks the
arrival of rains i.e. the time to renew and rejuvenate. There is
singing, dancing, drama, devotional music and other traditional
activities that engross the people in Teej celebrations. Many
entertaining competitions like turban tying and mehndi design take
place. On this day, young girls and married women are seen in graceful
attires and ornaments. Major highlights of the fair are given below:
Swings:
The main attraction of Teej fairs are beautifully decorated swings.
Ladies and young girls swing on these swings singing traditional folk
songs.
Mehndi: Another very beautiful and traditional part of Teej fair
is a mehndi stall. Women adorn their hands with elegant mehndi designs.
Different styles of mehndi is also applied. Mostly one can see
Rajasthani colors in mehndi designs.
Performances of folk artists: Famous folk artists form Rajasthan
perform and entertain the crowd. It becomes the main attraction of the
day. Rajasthani performances engulfs tourists to enjoy every minute of
it.
Handicrafts and other items: Teej fairs have varied stalls
focusing on the culture and ethnicity of Rajasthan. There are variety of
items of Rajasthani hanidicrafts which is bought in bulk by the
tourists. Along with this, there are stalls which contain women items
only. A large section is dedicated to women as it is a special day for
them. Different things which are important for the married woman viz
there are stalls of numerous 'shringar' items like bangles, ethnic
dresses, sindhur etc.
Sweets and other eateries: Theme of fair is totally culture
based and so the stalls set up have a special Rajasthani flavor to it.
Mouthwatering Ghewar shops is the main attraction for tourists.
Kids Zone: There is a special kids zone in the fair. Number of
rides and stalls are specially set up for young kids.
Puppet Show: Another most attractive part of the saawan fair is
the puppet show. Being a colorful source of entertainment is liked by
all. These shows depict the culture and some famous story related to the
town or city.