Women celebrate Teej praying for peace in the country

September 17, 2004
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Hundreds of thousands of Nepali women celebrated the `Teej’ festival, also known as Haritalika, amid the backdrop of escalating violence and deteriorating security situation in the country on Friday.

Married women as well as unmarried girls celebrated the festival, worshipping Lord Shiva, a Hindu god, seeking conjugal bliss and happiness in their lives as well as restoration of peace in the country.

The on-going conflict, however, had left a long shadow on many women who, otherwise, would have observed this festival with much fanfare.

Menaka Shrestha, wife of a soldier at the Royal Nepalese Army, said she could not visit her paternal house located in a remote village in eastern Nepal due to security threats. “My father advised me over phone not to visit them during Teej as Maoist activities had escalated in the area.”

“I not only prayed for the long life of my husband, I also prayed for restoration of peace in the country,” Shrestha told Nepalnews with her eyes full of tears.

But for majority of women, Teej also afforded an opportunity to forget their year-long ordeals and celebrate the festival in high spirits singing and dancing at the premises of Pashupatinath temple. “I danced and sang the whole day forgetting all sorrows and grievances.”

Their songs, however, usually referred to on-going violence and acute political instability in the country. Geeta Dhakal, a university graduate turned house wife, said the culture of Teej would not last long if the conflict escalated in the country.

“It is only in Kathmandu that we are celebrating Teej, but many of our sisters in the villages are not in a position to celebrate this festival free of fear and intimidation,” she added.

Experts watching this colorful festival said there had been obvious impact of mass media like television, growing consumerism and urbanization on the way these festivals were being celebrated.

“Nepali culture is very accommodative and flexible, “ Prof. Dr. Rishi Keshab Raj Regmi, an anthropologist, told Spotlight newsmagazine early this month. “Festivals connect the social system and help to provide continuity to it,” he added.