| » History of
Teej Festival |
According to Hindu mythology, on the 3rd day (teej) after the
new moon in the month of Shravan Goddess Parvati went to the house of lord
Shiva, her husband and was united with him. This day is celebrated as Teej
all over India and especially so in Rajasthan. Apart from its mythological
origins this festival also heralds the arrival of the rainy season. In the
month of Shravan the long awaited monsoon finally arrives in Rajasthan
bringing relief to the parched land. Like a magic wand it transforms the
hot, dusty and barren summer landscape of Rajasthan into the fertile green
beehive of activity. The Teej festivities also celebrate this rejuvenation.
| » Activities of
Teej Festival |
Teej is celebrated mainly by the women folk of Rajasthan.
Married women who idolize Parvati for her devotion to her husband Shiva
celebrate Teej. The festivity revolves around singing and dancing in praise
of Parvati. The rituals allow the women to pamper and enjoy themselves, to
feast, to dress in the best of cloths, finery and jewellery, in fact to look
the stunning best.
All over Rajasthan, even in remote villages,
Jhoolas (swings) are hung from trees and decorated with leaves and flowers.
Ladies and girls can be seen enjoying on these swings, playing games,
singing folk songs and applying Mehandi (henna) on their palms. In Jaipur an
idol of Goddess Parvati (Teej Mata) is taken out in a royal procession from
the city palace so that the general public can have a chance to pay homage
to the Goddess. Antique gilt palanquins, bullock carts pulling cannons,
chariots, gaily decorated elephants with silver haodas, horses, camels,
brass bands, and group of dances all form a part of this grand spectacle.
The Palanquin of Goddess Paravati is carried by 8 men dressed in red color.
This kilometer long procession winds its way through the lanes of the old
city. Local people come in huge numbers, dress in their best traditional
clothes. Space is at a premium as people perch on top of building, windows
even trees to catch a glimpse of Goddess. A huge band of urchins follows the
Palanquin to grab these offerings.
A lot of merriment prevails
during the Teej procession. Groups of men and women can be seen singing
dancing and playing musical instruments. Men and women dressed as gods and
Goddess also join in the procession.
| » Places to
Stay in Jaipur |
There are several budget hotels and paying guest
accommodations available in Jaipur. Heritage Hotel in Jaipur includes the
Ramgarh Lodge, Royal Castle Kanota, Raj Mahal Palace, which pamper tourists
with royal treatment. For budget vacationers, there are also Five star
hotels that includes names such as Man Singh Towers, Hotel Jaipur Palace,
The Ethnic Village Resort. Many Jaipur hotels are a part of leading hotels
chains like the Taj Hotels and Resorts, Oberoi group of hotels, Welcome
group of hotels, and the Mansingh group of hotels.
| » Best Time to
visit Jaipur |
Summer ranges from 25°C to a maximum of 45°C, while
winter lies between 22°C to a low of 8°C. The rainy seasons are
very humid starting from July to mid September. The best time to visit
Jaipur is between October to March.
Air : Indian Airlines connect Jaipur with
Delhi, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Aurangabad, Bombay, Varanasi, Calcutta, Ahmedabad.
Rail : Jaipur is connected by rail with
Delhi, Agra, Ahmedabad, Ajmer, Abu Road (Mount Abu), Udaipur, Bombay and
Sawai Madhopur.
Road : Good motorable roads
connect Jaipur with Delhi 258 km, Agra 236 km, Bikaner 321 km, Udaipur 405
km, Ajmer 131 km, Jodhpur 316 km, Bharatpur 176 km, Jaisalmer 638 km and
Bombay 1202 km
Like most other north Indian cities, Jaipur too has extreme
climate. The summers can be very hot with mercury crossing 45 degree,
whereas winters are chilled and the temperature can fall below 5 degrees.