Hariyali Teej is the 'green Teej' of the monsoon, when women in green attire honour Goddess Parvati's reunion with Lord Shiva with fasting, mehndi, songs and swings hung from trees. It falls on Shravana Shukla Tritiya, in the heart of the rainy season (July–August).
When: Shravana Shukla Tritiya — third day of the bright fortnight of Shravana (July–August)
Where: Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab; the Jaipur Teej procession is the best-known public celebration
Deity: Goddess Parvati (Teej Mata), with Lord Shiva
Observance: Women's fast, green clothes and bangles, mehndi, swings, Teej songs, sindhara gifts, ghewar sweets
Tradition holds that Goddess Parvati performed austerities across many lifetimes to win Lord Shiva as her husband, and that on the third day of the bright fortnight of Shravana he finally accepted her. Teej therefore celebrates Parvati as Teej Mata, the embodiment of devoted love, and women invoke her blessings for a happy married life. The name Hariyali — 'greenery' — ties the festival to the monsoon itself: by Shravana the rains have turned the north Indian countryside green, and that freshness is woven into everything about the day, from the green saris, lehariya patterns and bangles women wear to the swings hung from mango and neem trees. In Jaipur the festival has a grand public face, as an ornamented image of Teej Mata is carried in procession through the old city, a custom associated with the former royal household.
How Hariyali Teej is celebrated
Married women commonly keep a fast for the wellbeing of their husbands, and newly married daughters traditionally spend their first Sawan at their parents' home. A day or two before the festival the sindhara arrives — a gift of clothes, bangles, mehndi and sweets sent by the in-laws or parents, depending on family custom. On Teej morning women dress in green, apply mehndi, and gather to worship Parvati and Shiva with shringar offerings such as bangles, sindoor and bindi. The most loved image of the day is the swing: decorated jhoolas are hung in courtyards and gardens, and women take turns swinging while singing Teej and monsoon folk songs. Ghewar, the disc-shaped Rajasthani sweet of the rainy season, is shared everywhere. In Punjab and Haryana the wider Sawan festivities are known as Teeyan, with giddha dancing and gatherings of women.
Keeping Hariyali Teej in Ottawa & Canada
Hariyali Teej falls in July or August, which is high summer in Ottawa — one of the few Indian monsoon festivals that lands in genuinely pleasant Canadian weather. Families can keep the day at home very naturally: wear green, apply mehndi the evening before, set up a small puja for Parvati and Shiva, and if you have a backyard tree or a park nearby, hang a simple swing for the children — the jhoola is the heart of Teej. Many community and women's groups across Canada organise Teej get-togethers with songs and potluck sweets; check what is happening locally in a given year. Ghewar is hard to find here, so families often substitute homemade malpua or store-bought mithai. If elders in India are celebrating, a video call during their puja is a warm way to join in.
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Questions
What is the difference between Hariyali Teej, Kajari Teej and Hartalika Teej?
They are three separate Teej days across the monsoon. Hariyali Teej falls on Shravana Shukla Tritiya (July–August), Kajari Teej about a fortnight later on Bhadrapada Krishna Tritiya, and Hartalika Teej on Bhadrapada Shukla Tritiya (August–September), just before Ganesh Chaturthi. All three honour Parvati, but Hartalika Teej is the strictest vrata, often kept without water.
Do women have to fast on Hariyali Teej?
Fasting customs vary by family and region. Many married women keep a fast for the day, some without water and others taking fruit and milk. Unmarried girls in some families also keep it, praying for a good husband. Follow your own family's tradition — the songs, swings and worship of Teej Mata matter as much as the fast.
What is sindhara?
Sindhara (or sinjara) is the gift package exchanged around Teej — typically clothes, bangles, mehndi, ghewar and other sweets — sent to a married woman by her parents or in-laws. In many families the day before Teej is itself called Sinjara and is spent applying mehndi and preparing for the festival.
Source: North Indian monsoon tradition of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab. Regional versions may vary — this text follows the version most widely used in community worship.