Women folk observed Haritalika (Teeja) Vrat on Sunday by keeping day-long fast (without even taking water) for the wellbeing of their hubbies.
After dressing herself in colourful attire, they performed puja of lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati by making their idols with sand with traditional fervour and immersed them later in Indrawati River. Notably, symbolising as the festival for long lasting married life, Haritalika/Teeja Vrat is observed throughout India by married women, in Bastar area, traditions and age old belief of people make it special.
Bhadav month of the Hindi calendar is considered as a month of Vrat and festivals, Teeja is observed on the penultimate day of Ganesh Chaturthi. On this day, women keep day-long fast (without taking even water) and worship lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati seeking their blessings for their long lasting marriage life. Only next day, they break the fast and consume anything.
In Bastar, women start preparations for this festival few days in advance. They purchase new clothes, cosmetic items and pujan materials for this occasion. On Teeja day, they go to the nearest river side dressed in bridal attire. There they make idols of lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati with sand extracted from the river. They establish the idols at a place and decorate it in traditional styl. later they perform the puja of the deity during night with traditional fervour.
They also observe ‘Ratri Jagaran’ as group of women sing bhajans throughout night. On the next morning, they end their fast after immersing all the pujan materials and idols of the deity in to the river. According to elders, in Bastar, Teeja Jagar (the night awakening for preparations of teeja fest) used to start at least a fort night ahead of the Teeja day during which group of women sang folksongs on local musical instrument ‘Dhankuli’ throughout night but with the passing of time, the tradition has virtually vanished.