On this day, the womenfolk sing songs known as kajaris in the praise of Lord Shiva

Kajari Teej

25 August 2021

Religious

Bundi, Rajasthan

29°C / Clouds

Kajari Teej is celebrated in the month of Shravan or Bhadrapada, after 15 days of Hariyali Teej, three days after Rakshabandhan, and about five days before Krishna Janmashtami.

In its essence, this Hindu festival is dedicated to all the married women, thus, on this pious occasion, all the womenfolk pray for a prosperous marital life and seek blessings from Lord Mahadeva.

One of the major highlights of this Hindu festival is the puja of Neem Tree conducted by married women. The celebrations of Kajari Teej include songs (kajaris) sung in the praise of Lord Shiva along with the preparation of delightful delicacies at home.

Also Read: It was on this day that the seventh Avatar of Lord Vishnu was born in Ayodhya

History of Kajari Teej

According to the legend, it is believed that Maa Parvati wanted to marry Lord Shiva and was greatly devoted to making this wish of hers come true. Seeing this mix of desperation and devotion, Lord Shiva asked Maa Paravati to prove her dedication towards him as the divine feminine energy.

It is said that to prove her immense and pure love for Lord Mahadeva, Goddess Parvati observed penance for 108 years after which Lord Shiva accepted her as his faithful wife.

It is believed that their divine marriage took place during the Krishna Paksha of the Bhadrapada month. And later on, this day came to be celebrated as Kajli Teej. Thus, it is considered very auspicious to worship Lord Shiva and Maa Parvati on this day.

Major Attractions of Kajli Teej

1. Celebrations at Bundi. The festival of Teej is celebrated with great pomp and show all across the land of Rajasthan. However, Bundi is one such place where you will find the people celebrating Teej in the most unique way. The festivities here continue for weeks on end. During the celebrations, various rituals are followed which even includes a large procession dedicated to Teej Mata and includes elephants, camels and bands as its entertainment elements.

2. Local Fairs. Apart from Bundi, local fairs are held in several parts of Rajasthan where hundreds of artisans participate showcasing their art in the form of kataar, paintings, bangles, rural handicraft, trinkets, and eatables and much more. During these fairs, many competitions are also held out of which Algoza which is basically a recital competition, is the most popular. All these fairs and merriment continue till Janmashtami.

3. Fasting and Puja Rituals. On this day, the womenfolk keep a fast for the long life of their partners which is broken by eating sattu. For this, a special puja ceremony dedicated to Neem Tree is conducted. Along with this, the rituals also include praying to the moon God.

How to Reach Bundi Rajasthan

To reach Bundi, Rajasthan, you will need to cover an approximate distance of 482, 936, 1,549, 1,700 km from major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru respectively. Here are the details on how you can reach Bundi by the following means of transportation.

By Air. Deboard at the Jaipur International Airport (JAI) situated about 200-250 km away from Bundi. The airport has good flight connectivity with other major Indian cities. From the airport, the motorable roads provide you with easy access to reach your desired location. Thus, you can book a cab or a bus to reach Bundi.

From Pune - Board AirAsia, IndiGo, Spicejet flights from Pune Airport. The airfares will cost you between INR 3,000-INR 5,000
From Guwahati - Board Spicejet, IndiGo flights from Guwahati Airport. The airfares are starting from INR 4,000 - INR 5,000
From Bhubaneswar - Board Air India, IndiGo, Spicejet flights from Bhubaneswar Airport. The airfares are starting from INR 4,000-INR 5,000

By Train. The nearest railway station is Kota, situated about 35-40 km away. Located on the Western Railway Network of India, this station has overall good train connectivity with other Indian cities. After deboarding at the station, you will need to cover the remaining distance by some means of public transportation to reach your respective destination in Bundi.

By Road. Depending upon your location, you can decide whether you can travel here by road. Naturally, travelling from nearby towns and cities would prove easy due to the close proximity and good road connectivity and ease of accessibility. You can choose to travel by interstate/private run buses, taxis or your own vehicle.