Kajli Teej Festival – Highlights the Culture of Bundi
The festival of Kajli Teej is celebrated on Bhadrapada Krishna Tritiya, three days after Raksha Bandhan. It is also known as Badi Teej, Kajari Teej and Saturi Teej. According to the Gregorian calendar, it usually falls in August or September. This festival is dedicated to Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva. Teej Mata is the another name of Goddess Parvati. Kajli Teej Festival is widely celebrated in the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.
On this day, married women fast for the long life of their husbands and unmarried girls fast to get their desired groom. On Kajari Teej, women worship wearing brightly coloured clothes, including green and red, as these colours symbolise auspiciousness. It is a celebration of the unbreakable bond of love between husband and wife. Usually on this occasion, women receive traditional clothes as gifts from their mothers and mothers-in-law. According to Hindu beliefs, this holy festival, celebrated for centuries, has great cultural and religious significance.
Kajli Teej Festival of Bundi
If we talk about Teej, then the Kajli Teej Fair held in Bundi, Rajasthan is world famous. This fair, which lasts for about 15 days, is celebrated with great pomp in Bundi, Rajasthan. A procession of Kajali Teej Mata is taken out in the city for two days on the day of Teej and the next day. This fair and procession started from the princely era.
Table of Content
- How did the Kajali Teej Festival begin?
- Kajli Teej Procession Route
- Significance of Kajli Teej Bundi Procession
How did the Kajali Teej Festival begin?
There is an interesting story behind celebrating Kajli Teej Festival in Bundi, which is as follows –
Once during the princely era, Thakur Balwant Singh of Gothra of Bundi and his friend were talking about Jaipur Teej. His friend said that if a grand procession like the one in Jaipur is taken out here too, then how much glory Bundi will increase. This thought struck Balwant Singh’s mind. Then he made a plan to bring Teej from Jaipur to Bundi. And on the decided day, he set out for Jaipur with his brave warriors. Like every year, this year too, a grand procession of Teej Mata was being taken out in Jaipur on the day of Hariyali Teej. Thakur Balwant Singh Hada brought Jaipur’s Teej to Gothra (Bundi) with the help of his brave companions and 15 days after this, from the day of Kajli Teej, Teej Mata’s procession started taking place in Gothra. After the death of Thakur Balwant Singh, Rao Raja Ram Singh of Bundi brought Teej to Bundi and the procession of Teej started taking place in a grand manner in Bundi.
‘Kajli Teej’ is a symbol of the amazing saga of bravery of ‘Gothda Darbar Balwant Singh Hada’
Kajli Teej Procession Route
After the twenty-one gun salute, the Kajli Teej procession used to start from Sundarghat of Nawal Sagar Lake and reach Rani Ji Ki Bawdi via the main road of the old city which includes Nahar Ka Chauhatta, Sadar Bazaar, Chaugan Darwaza etc. During this time, the royal family, elite class and all the wealthy people of Bundi state used to participate in this festival with great pomp wearing their traditional costumes. The army of Bundi state used to display its bravery and valour in this festival. The general public used to welcome this procession wholeheartedly and considered themselves blessed by getting the darshan of Teej Mata with great respect. On the occasion of the two-day Teej Sawari, various types of public entertainment programs were also organised, in which there was a fight between two intoxicated elephants, which used to attract a crowd of spectators.
Significance of Kajli Teej Bundi Procession
It is believed that the idol of Teej Mata which was taken out in the Amer Fort of Jaipur, was made of gold. The king looted it and brought it to Bundi. After that, a fake procession of Teej Mata started being taken out in Jaipur. People started saying that the real Kajli Teej procession is taken out in Bundi and a fake one in Jaipur. Earlier the royal court used to take out the Teej procession in Bundi. Later, when democracy was established, the local municipal bodies started organising this event.
Even after the country got independence, the tradition of taking out the grand Shobha Yatra of Teej Mata still continues. Now the responsibility of taking out the two-day Kajli Teej Sawari lies with the Municipal Council. Since the royal family did not give the golden idol of Teej to the city council, there is a tradition of making a second idol of Teej and taking out a procession of Teej every year on the third day of the month of Bhadrapad. Although for some time the royal family used to take out the procession of Teej inside the royal courtyard, with the passage of time the royal family has stopped taking out the procession of Teej. Only the procession of Teej Mata taken out by the city council is being taken out for the public to see.
जैपुर देखतो रे ग्यो, जा धमक्या बून्दी का सिरदार।
बीच लवाजमा तीज न, ले आया गोठड़ा दरबार।।
Click to read more articles about Bundi | Fair and Festivals of Rajasthan
