Teej fervour grips women across state

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 17

The traditional festival of Hariyali Teej, dedicated to women emancipation was celebrated with fervour and gaiety at various places here today. Members of the ladies club, FRI university students, scientists and other female employees wearing traditional green dresses, danced to the tunes of traditional and modern music at the Hariyali Teej function held at FRI campus. 

The dance performance added to the colour as the overcast sky provided the canvass to the celebrations meant to welcome ‘Savana’, the rain month, the festival is associated with. Different food stalls and merry-go-round added to the flavor of the festivity on the campus. Programmes like singing, poetry, gazal, drama, game rounds and teej queen competitions were also organised. Teej queens were crowned as Sadabahar 

( Neelam Mohan and Geetika Mathur), Gulzar ( Sujata Singh and Dr Archana Garg) and Fuhar (Dr Charu Sharma and Dr AJ Kaur). 

Women wearing green coloured Indian dresses danced to the tune of Dhol. With the changing times the festival also witnessed with modern music and latest pop songs which also gave a blend to the celebration. “It depicts happiness of the onset of monsoon in the foothills of Himalayas,” said FRI Ladies Club Chairperson Nirmal Sharma, who herself performed Garhwali dance.

She said the festival reminded of the happy times in life and was traditionally celebrated in northern India during the month of rain and remarked that traditional festivals like these were being forgotten by the younger generation, who spend most of their times with other modern gadgets. 

Meanwhile, the festival was celebrated by members of the Sangini Group, here today, in which Indu Panwar and Tanvi Kaushal won the title of Teej Queen in above-35 and under-35 age categories respectively. Meanwhile women from different fields were also felicitated for their outstanding contribution in the society. 

Earlier, the programme was inaugurated by Social Activists Geeta Chandola and Anita Gupta by lighting the lamp. After which women showed their talent in song and ramp walk competitions. During the award ceremony, Beena Benjwal (educationist), Ranu Bisht (journalist), Dr Sumitra Rana (social activist), Saroj Rawat (social activist), Bubbly Bisht (social activist), Hema Negi (folk singer) and Sudha Gaur (social activist) were felicitated by the Sangini Group for their outstanding works.

Mussoorie: Members of the Lioness Club celebrated Teej with fervour and gaiety in Mussoorie today.

Several dance and song competitions along with various games were organised for women at a hotel in Kulri bazaar. Shivali Garg was awarded with the most charming Teej Queen while Rashm Vaish, Archana Goel and Manju Garg were adjudged Teej Queen in other categories. The coveted Haryali Teej Queen award went to Krishna Garg.

Haridwar: Teej was celebrated with fervour across the district. Women dressed in colourful attires applied henna and danced to the tunes of folk songs.

At Punjabi Dharamshala, Kanha group organised Teej Mahotsava.

Hari Pur Kalan-based Pawan Kumar Shastri said it was a fasting festival for Hindu women falling in Shukla Paksha in Bhado month of the Hindu calendar.

Kanha group founder Shivangi Tripathi said Teej festival was being observed in Haridwar on a grand scale and various programmes were being organised by respective organisations and cultural groups.

The programme began with chanting of a hymn followed by folk songs.

Kavita was adjudged the Teej Queen while Tanu and Swati Sharma were adjudged runners up while Poonam Chauhan and Sonia Arora were adjudged best dancers in the dance event.