Teej and Rakhi Festival in Noida

Swings, mehndi and the color green are the symbols of the festival of Teej. This three-day long festival dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, celebrated on third day of Amavasya (New Moon) of Shraavana (or Saawan) month, marks the advent of monsoons. This year Teej falls on July 30.

Traditionally women dress in green sarees and adorn themselves with kajal, bindi and bangles. Teej involves rigid fasting followed by sumptuous feasts. Women observe rigid fasts to invoke the blessings of Goddess Parvati for marital bliss and the unmarried girls for a loving husband. Later they merrily swing on the saawan ke jhule (swings decorated with flowers) accompanied by boisterous singing and dancing.

Mehndi is the most popular tradition of Teej besides swings, singing and dancing

A day preceding Teej is celebrated as Sinjara wherein women apply mehndi on their palms and participate in procession on the streets singing and dancing to the tunes of folk songs. Most of the beauty parlors in the area have staff who specialize in menhdi art. If you want to try your hand at this art then you can buy ready-to-use mehndi cones available at the local fancy stores. The expert mehndiwalas with the latest designs up their sleeves are also amazing with their mehndi art. One cannot miss the beeline for menhdi at most of the popular markets in Noida. It is advised you fix the rate with your mehndiwala in advance to have a hassle-free experience. Their rates keep rising in proportion with the increasing beeline of the customers.

Where to get Menhdi in Noida: Atta market - Sector 27, Brahmaputra Market - Sector 29, Main Market Sector 18 near Mc Donald's. Local Beauty Parlors also offer this service, usually require advance booking due to the festive rush.

Customarily, married women celeberate Teej and Raksha Bandhan (or Rakhi), which are spaced at just ten days,  at their parent's place. This year Rakhi falls on August 10. Rakhi celebrates the bond of love and duty between the brother and sister. The markets are flooded with all sorts of rakhis during this time. So ladies, while you get busy with the mehndiwala kids can shop for the beautiful rakhis to be couriered to their cousins who live far away in other cities.

Rakhi Stall at Brahmaputra Market, Sector 29, Noida

The first Monday of Saawan has religious significance among Hindus. The temples in Noida saw a huge flux of devotees on July 14. Devotees thronged to the Lord Shiva temples in the city for 'Rudrabhishek' & pooja (Prayers)  and to seek blessings for prosperity and happiness. The devotees paid tributes to the Shivlinga with water, milk, curd, honey, sugar, grass, Dhatura, Bel Patra, Sindoor etc.

The notable Shiva temples of Noida
Sanatan Dharma Mandir - Sector 19
Hajipur Voda Mahadev Mandir - Sector 100
Shiv Shakti Mandir - Sector 40
Lal Mandir - Sector 2
Laxmi Narain Mandir - Sector 56
Maharshi Ashram Shiv Mandir - Sector 107
Sanatan Dharam Mandir - Sector 41
Shiv Mandir - Sector 12, 22, 34, 49, 55,127
Shiv Mandir in Nithari Village - Sector 31
Shiv Mandir in Gijhor Village - Sector 56

How are you preparing for Teej and Rakhi?? Share your experience with us. Watch this space for more on Teej and Teej bazaar.

You might find useful - 
Festive shopping guide Teej - Rakhi Mela and Bazaars in 2015
Our earlier guide on Rakhi and Teej festival shopping for year 2014 here
 
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Permission is explicitly denied for any republication of text or photographs in this post without the prior express written consent of the author, Bushra Muzaffar.