Kajari Teej, also known as Kajali Teej, is celebrated on the third day of Krishna Paksha (Dark Fortnight) of the lunar month of Bhadrapada. According to the Gregorian calendar, the day falls in his July or August. Kajri Teej is primarily a women's festival. It is celebrated in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and other parts of the country. The festival is also known as Boodhi Teej and Satudi Teej in some areas. Like Hariyali Teej and Hartalika Teej, Kajari Teej is very important for married women. Fasting on the day of Kajari Teej brings happiness and bliss in married life.
Rituals for Kajari Teej
Women celebrate the festival with joy and enthusiasm. Some regions add their own flavor to the festival, but the basic rituals that follow remain the same. The Kajari Teej ritual is as follows:
1. Married women fast for the longevity of their husbands, and unmarried women fast for good husbands.
2. On the day of Kajari Teej, some dishes are prepared from a mixture of barley, wheat, chickpeas and rice (sattu). The fast ends when the observer sees the moon.
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Cow worship is an important aspect of Kajari Teeji. Small chapatis made of wheat flour coated with jaggery and ghee are first given to the sacred cows and then consumed. Celebrate the day by dancing.
5 An important part of the day is the singing of Kajali Teeji. The people of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar sing kajari songs to the sound of drums.
Puja Vidhi for Kajari Teej
Goddess Neemdi, also known as Neemdi Mata, is associated with this sacred festival. Worship of Goddess Neemdi is dedicated to Kajali on her Teej day. Before the puja, there is a ritual to build a pond-like structure using the wall. Pure ghee and jaggery are used to strengthen and decorate the outer edge of this structure, and neem twigs are planted nearby.Raw milk and water are poured into the ponds, lamps (diya) are lit and It is kept close.The puja thali (plate) is decorated with lemons, cucumbers, bananas, apples, sattu, vermilion, sacred threads and whole rice. The raw milk is put in a container and in the evening worship of the Goddess should be performed according to the ritual (Puja Vidhi) at the following points: goddess neemdi
2. The wall behind the goddess is marked with 13 dots each in henna, vermilion and black kajal. Henna and vermilion dots are made on the little finger and thirteen kajal dots are marked on the ring finger. The walls are decorated with sacred threads using engraved points.
4. Offer fruits and other offerings to Goddess Neemdi. Puja she paints a kalash (sacred vessel) with vermilion tilak and ties a sacred thread around it.
5 Observe lemons, cucumbers, neem branches, nose needles, etc. under the light of a lamp (diya) placed by the pond. Aagya is then sacrificed to the moon god.