- Nepali women celebrate Haritalika Teej today with fasting and prayers dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati for family well-being.
- Thousands of devotees, dressed in traditional red and green attire, have crowded Kathmandu’s Pashupatinath Temple since early morning for worship.
- The Pashupati Area Development Trust deployed 4,000 security personnel and hundreds of volunteers to manage crowds and ensure smooth temple entry.
- Beyond religious rituals, the festival features traditional singing and dancing, though many now advocate for simpler, less expensive celebrations.
Kathmandu, Nepal: Haritalika Teej, a major Hindu festival observed by women in Nepal, is being celebrated across the country today with fasting, prayers and temple visits.
Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu has been crowded since early morning as women observing the Teej fast arrived to worship Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Many were dressed in traditional red and green clothes and carried flowers, fruits, incense and other items for worship.
The Pashupati Area Development Trust said all four doors of the temple were opened from 3 a.m. to facilitate the entry of devotees. Four routes have been arranged to manage the crowd.
Devotees arriving from Sinamangal and the airport area are being directed through the gate near the Tilganga Tourism Counter. They proceed through Ram Mandir, along the Bagmati riverbank and across the bridge near Aryaghat before entering through the eastern gate for darshan.
Those arriving from Pingalasthan enter through the gate there and follow the route through the Four Shiva Temples and Panchadeval Elderly Home. They cross a temporary footbridge near the southern gate and proceed through the Chaunsatthi Kotilingeshwar area before viewing the southern side of the temple. They then leave through the western side of the Unmatta Bhairav Temple and the area near the Moolbhatta residence.
The Trust said devotees in the morning queue have generally been able to complete their darshan within about half an hour. Rain in the morning did not prevent devotees from waiting in line.
According to Hindu tradition, Haritalika Teej is linked to Goddess Parvati's penance to marry Lord Shiva. Women observe the fast and worship Shiva and Parvati as part of this tradition.
Married women traditionally fast for the long life and well-being of their husbands and families. Unmarried women also fast while praying for a suitable life partner. Women visit Shiva temples, offer water and other items to the Shiva lingam, light lamps and incense, and perform prayers.
Teej also has a strong social and cultural role in Nepal. Women traditionally return to their maternal homes, meet relatives and friends, eat dar, sing Teej songs and dance.
Teej songs have long reflected women's family and social experiences. In recent years, they have also addressed issues such as education, employment, women's rights and social discrimination.
The Pashupati Area Development Trust said 4,000 security personnel and 855 volunteers from 24 religious and social organizations have been deployed in the Pashupati area. Chandan is being distributed at Sanod Sadabarta Sattal, Tilganga, Umakunda, Jayabageshwari and Gaushala.
Other major Shiva temples in Kathmandu Valley, including Gokarneshwar, Nageshwar, Makhhan Mahadev in the Basantapur Durbar Square area, Doleshwar and Tripureshwar, have also received large numbers of devotees.
Shiva temples in other parts of the country are also holding prayers and worship for Teej.
The way Teej is celebrated has changed over time, with cultural programs and public gatherings becoming more common. At the same time, concerns over expensive clothes and jewelry, large feasts and unnecessary spending have led to calls for simpler celebrations.
Despite these changes, fasting, worship of Shiva and Parvati, family gatherings, dar and Teej songs remain central to the festival.
