North IndiaFestivalParvatiHindi · Uttar Pradesh · Madhya Pradesh · Rajasthan
Kajari Teej, also called Kajali or Badi Teej, is the monsoon Teej of Bhadrapada, when women fast for their husbands' wellbeing, worship Parvati and the neem tree, and sing the soulful kajari folk songs of the rainy season. It falls on Bhadrapada Krishna Tritiya (August–September), about a fortnight after Hariyali Teej.
When: Bhadrapada Krishna Tritiya — third day of the dark fortnight of Bhadrapada (August–September)
Where: Eastern Uttar Pradesh (Mirzapur–Varanasi region), Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan; Bundi's Kajli Teej fair is famous
Deity: Goddess Parvati; in Rajasthan the neem tree is worshipped as Neemdi Mata
Observance: Women's fast for the husband's long life, neem worship, offerings of sattu, kajari folk songs
Kajari takes its name from kajal, the black of collyrium — an evocation of the heavy, dark clouds of late monsoon. Like the other Teej days it honours Goddess Parvati and her steadfast devotion to Lord Shiva, and married women keep its fast praying for their husbands' long life. But Kajari Teej carries its own distinct flavour: it is inseparable from the kajari, a genre of monsoon folk song native to the Mirzapur and Varanasi region of eastern Uttar Pradesh, in which women voice longing for a husband far from home during the rains. Tradition in Rajasthan adds the worship of the neem tree as Neemdi Mata, with women offering water, roli and rice to the tree and listening to the Teej katha. Falling in the dark fortnight, it is called Badi (elder) Teej, paired with Hariyali Teej, the Chhoti (younger) Teej of Shravana.
How Kajari Teej is observed
Women rise early, bathe and resolve to keep the fast, which many observe until moonrise, offering arghya to the moon before eating. The puja centres on Parvati — and in Rajasthani homes on Neemdi Mata, sometimes represented by a neem branch planted in a small mound beside a little pond of water. Sattu, the roasted gram flour preparation, is the festival food of the day: it is offered in the puja and eaten to break the fast, and in many families brothers bring sattu and gifts to their married sisters. Songs and swings continue from the wider Sawan season. The most spectacular public celebration is at Bundi in Rajasthan, where a decorated image of Teej Mata is taken out in procession and a large fair follows, with folk performances and traditional wrestling drawing people from across the Hadoti region.
Keeping Kajari Teej in Ottawa & Canada
Kajari Teej arrives in late August or early September, still comfortable weather in Ottawa. At home the observance is simple to keep: the fast, a small puja to Parvati, and the moonrise arghya — check the Ottawa moonrise time for the day, since the fast traditionally ends after offering water to the moon. Neem trees do not grow in Canada, so most families keep the Neemdi Mata worship symbolically, with a picture or an offering at the home altar. Sattu is easy to find in Indian grocery stores in Canada, so the traditional fast-breaking food travels well. The kajari songs themselves are widely available online; playing them through the evening is a lovely way to give the day its true monsoon mood, and grandparents in India will happily sing them down a video call.
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Questions
Why is Kajari Teej called Badi Teej?
In Rajasthan the two monsoon Teej days are paired: Hariyali Teej in Shravana is Chhoti (younger) Teej, and Kajari Teej in Bhadrapada is Badi (elder) Teej, also called Boodhi Teej. The names simply mark their order in the season, not their importance — different regions give prominence to different Teej days.
What are kajari songs?
Kajari is a semi-classical and folk song genre of the eastern Uttar Pradesh monsoon, especially associated with Mirzapur and Varanasi. The songs express a woman's longing during the rains, often addressed to a husband away from home. They are sung through the Sawan–Bhadon season and give Kajari Teej its name and its musical soul.
How is the Kajari Teej fast broken?
In the common Rajasthani custom the fast is kept until moonrise; after offering arghya (water) to the moon, the woman breaks the fast, traditionally with sattu. Family customs vary — some break the fast after the evening puja instead — so follow the practice of your own household elders.
Source: Monsoon folk tradition of the Hindi belt — eastern Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Regional versions may vary — this text follows the version most widely used in community worship.