Kajari (also Kajli, Kajri) Teej – In-Depth Guide

1. What Is Kajari Teej?

Kajari Teej, often called Badi Teej or Satudi Teej, is celebrated on the third day (Tritiya) of the dark fortnight (Krishna Paksha) in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada (August–September), about 15 days after Hariyali Teej . The word “Kajari” comes from kajal (kohl), symbolizing the eye cosmetics women apply as part of this observance .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Mythological & Folkloric Roots

Divine Union of Shiva–Parvati

The festival celebrates Goddess Parvati’s devout penance (tapasya), which led Shiva to accept her as his wife—a motif underscoring love, strength, and fidelity .

Legend of Kajari

A woman named Kajari, married yet childless, observed a strict fast and was blessed by Parvati with a son .

Other tales speak of a devout wife whose fasting healed her ailing or wayward spouse, illustrating the belief in Teej’s transformative power .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. When Is It in 2025?

Date: Tuesday, August 12, 2025 (Krishna Paksha Tritiya, Bhadrapada)

Tritiya Begins: Considering local timings, mid-August early morning Tritiya begins ~Aug 12 and ends ~Aug 13 .

This aligns Kajari Teej with late monsoon celebrations of nature and fertility.

 

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4. What the Festival Signifies

For Married Women: Fasting is for the long life, well-being, and prosperity of their husbands .

For Unmarried Girls: They observe it to pray for a suitable, devoted life partner .

Cultural Connection: It honors love, fellowship, monsoon fertility, and spiritual resilience during challenging times .

 

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5. Regional & Cultural Expressions

**Northern India (UP, Bihar, MP):**

Community gatherings with women singing Kajri folk songs in Bhojpuri/Awadhi .

Decorative swings (jhulas), mehndi, and shared prayer ceremonies.

**Rajasthan (especially Bundi):**

Features Kajali Teej Mela, a 15-day fair with grand processions (Shobha Yatra), folk music, artisans, and cultural shows .

The Bundi legend includes royal storytelling around an idol looted from Jaipur, lending grandeur and tradition .

**Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh:**

Practices like clay-well constructions (ghera), worship of neem branches (Neemdi Mata), and tied rallies of sisterhood .

 

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6. Rituals & Puja Vidhi (Step-by-Step)

🔹 Preparations (Prior Evening)

Clean the house, decorate courtyard with rangoli and flowers. Assemble ritual items: new clothes, jewelry, incense (agarbatti), haldi, kumkum, mehndi, sattu, sweets, fruits .

🔹 Early Morning Rites

1. Wake before dawn (Brahma Muhurat), take holy bath.

2. Dress in festive colors (red, green, yellow), apply solah shringar (16 adornments), including mehndi .

3. Set up idols/pictures of Shiva–Parvati–Ganesha, often facing east .

4. Build a small clay-cow-dung well or pond (ghera), fill with raw milk and water, decorate neem branches as Neemdi Mata, with a ghee lamp (deepak) .

 

🔹 Puja Offerings

Offer to Shiva: water, milk, yogurt, honey, sugar, bel leaves .

To Parvati: kumkum, haldi, bangles, flowers, mehndi .

Recite mantras: “Om Namah Shivaya,” “Om Parvatyai Namah,” Gauri–Shankar chants; Radha–Krishna mantras are also used regionally .

Community prayer, singing Kajri songs, performing collective aarti .

🔹 Fasting Ritual (Vrat)

Most observe nirjala fast—no food or water through the day .

Some follow phalahar (fruits and water only), based on personal health Bangladesh .

Feeding cows with sattu-based offerings is considered auspicious .

🔹 Evening Moon Worship (Chandra Arghya)

After sunset, offer water (or milk) to the moon with roli (vermilion), rice, flowers .

Listen to or recite the Kajari Vrat Katha, thanking Goddess Parvati for blessings .

🔹 Breaking the Fast

Break fast after moon worship, sharing sweets, sattu drinks, puri, kheer, halwa, ghevar, gujiya, kaju katli, badam halwa, kachori, etc. .

Distribution of Sindhara gifts (clothes, jewelry, sweets) to married daughters from their maternal families .

Immerse ritual items in holy water—for example, neem, rice, flowers.

 

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7. Cultural Dimensions

Folk Singing & Swings: Women sing Kajris (rain/longing-love folk songs) while swinging on jhulas, reflecting monsoon emotions and sisterhood .

Communal Gathering: A space for women to bond, share stories, and celebrate resilience—a social highlight .

Artisan Fair: In Bundi and similar regions, melas showcase crafts, regional cuisine, poetry (kavi sammelan), and live performances .

 

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8. Spiritual & Social Benefits

Marital Well‑Being: Fasting and prayers are believed to bless husbands with long, healthy lives .

Personal Growth: Enhances discipline, patience, emotional bonding, and self‑control.

Cultural Preservation: Sustains folk traditions—songs, rituals, dances, dress—especially in rural communities.

Community Healing: Promotes togetherness, support networks, and celebration of feminine strength.

 

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🔚 Final Thoughts

Kajari Teej beautifully weaves:

Devotion (bhakti)—to divine couple Shiva and Parvati

Cultural joyousness—folk music, swings, and colorful attire

Social unity—community gatherings and shared rituals

Nature’s symbolism—monsoon fertility, sweetness, and renewal

It is both a spiritual fast and communal festival, celebrating woman’s role in familial harmony and cultural continuity.

 

 

 

 

 

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