[#TEAMINDIA]: FESTIVE AND CULTURE OF MAHARASHTRA
HARTALIKA VRAT / TEEJ
Hello my dear local guides and my fellow members this is my very first post on this connect platform, which makes me a bit anxious and happy also to share my experiences with you all. Being an INDIAN we have a lot of festivals around every month and this one is celebrated generally a day before Ganesh Chaturthi that is the arrival of Lord Ganesha. I have seen this ritual since my childhood, my granny told me about this tradition which is passed on to her from her granny, so thats a really old tradition.
Hartalika vrat is known by this name due to the legend associated with it. Hartalika word is combination of “Harat” and “Aalika” which means “abduction” and “female friend” respectively. The story of efforts of Goddess PARVATI to grant her wish of marrying LORD SHIVA and not LORD VISHNU against her wish.
The setup of this pooja is pretty traditional where u keep four stems of banana around a small table where the handmade idols of GODDESS PARVATI Her FRIEND AMBIKA from pure soil are made. They are kept above the table on a decorated piece of cloth and the incescence stick is lit. They table (PAT : in marathi) is then decorated by lightings ,rangoli ,flowers and handwoven garland for the idols (WENI : that small little buds of flowers are wove tightly specially for the idols). There are 13 types of different varieties of leaves chandeliers and flowers are offered to the idols.
It is also celebrated in other parts of India like UTTAR PRADESH, PUNJAB, RAJASTHAN, BIHAR, and HARYANA. This festival is often celebrated in July or August annually, depending on monsoons. The festival has different names according to various states Hartalika, Hariyali and Kajari Teej.
This starts at 12:00 AM where the woman holds fast which restricts you from having food and water also for next 24 hours. My granny use to start her fast by eating a cucumber and a cup of milk But nowadays it isn’t that strict, you have to then do pooja and read the story of Hartalika from the holy book.
The holy book explains the procedure of how to perform the pooja :
Early morning woman or any young girl who wishes to grant the blessing of GODDESS PARVATI for her future husband and is willing to perform that fast, She is eligible to worship for this pooja. She has to get ready and set up the pooja and then sit and read the story of HARTALIKA.
There is no such age limit or real restriction on the woman, anyone can perform this vrat according to their own lifestyle as it is not possible these to be hungry the whole without eating anything. So a woman can alter the vrat the way she wants to obey. Its just the belief that one has to towards the lord.
The story says that:
Once upon a time when Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva had a conversation about “Which one is the most greatest vrat amongst all, that has minimumeffort and lot of blessings. That it is easy to do and grant the wishes that one wants?”.
This made Lord Shiva answer the secretof Goddess Parvati was able to accquire him as her husband.
According to the legend of Hartalika Vrat, the friend of Goddess Parvati took her to the thick forest so that her father can’t marry her to Lord Vishnu against her wish. On the sudden disappearance of Goddess Parvati, her father thought that someone has kidnaped his daughter. Hence this day is known as Hartalika or Haritalika.
As legend goes, Goddess Parvati did severe penance in the forest to please Lord Shiva. Goddess Parvati worshipping Lord Shiva in forest all through the rough weather and no food and drinking water.Due to great determination of Goddess Parvati, Lord Shiva blessed her that her wish to marry Him would be fulfilled. As friend of Goddess Parvati helped her to get Lord Shiva as her husband, this day is also marked as the solidarity of friendship among female friends.
Do you CELEBRATE any exclusive FRIENDSHIP between FEMALE Friends?
This post is included in the series of posta about INDIA by #TeamIndia . It’s a part of #Teamchallenge which is initiated by @ErmesT & guided by our @TravellerG sir & supported by Connect Moderator @StephenAbraham .
(Introducing the culture and traditions of various festivals in India)
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