Teej (Haritalika Teej)
तीज
Nepal's women's festival — three days of fasting, feasting, dancing in red saris, and praying for marital bliss at Pashupatinath.
Location
Nationwide (especially Pashupatinath Temple)
Duration
3 days
Month (BS)
Bhadra
Month (AD)
August/September
Highlights
Dar feast night with dancing and singing. Red sari processions to Pashupatinath. Thousands of women singing and dancing at temple. Modern Teej songs becoming cultural anthems.
Tips for Visitors
The Dar feast evening and temple processions are the best times to observe. Pashupatinath becomes incredibly crowded — go early. Women in red saris everywhere is a spectacular sight. Respect the religious significance while enjoying the festive atmosphere.
Teej is Nepal's most important women's festival, a three-day celebration where married women fast and pray for their husbands' longevity, and unmarried women pray for good husbands. The festival is dedicated to goddess Parvati and her devotion to Lord Shiva.
The festival begins with Dar Khane Din — a grand feast on the eve, where women gather in groups to eat, dance, and sing through the night, dressed in their finest red saris and gold jewelry. The atmosphere is electric, with singing and dancing groups forming spontaneously in streets and courtyards.
The next day is the rigorous 24-hour fast (nirjala — without even water for many), during which women visit Pashupatinath and other Shiva temples. The lines at Pashupatinath stretch for kilometers, with women in stunning red saris creating a river of color. Songs, both traditional and modern, fill the air.
The festival concludes with Rishi Panchami, a day of ritual purification. Teej is increasingly seen as a celebration of women's solidarity, identity, and strength.