Kathmandu. In Nepali society, Haritalika Teej is not just a religious festival, it is a living tradition deeply connected with the spiritual, social and cultural dimensions of women’s life. When Teej comes, red dress, worship, fasting, song, dance, remembrance of Maiti, and meeting bring a different enthusiasm to the Nepali society. But the real meaning of Teej is not limited to outdoor display and fun. It is also an opportunity for women to express their feelings, share joys and sorrows, make family relationships intimate, and realize their self-confidence and identity. Therefore, it is necessary to understand Teej not just as a festival, but as our social memory, cultural identity and philosophy of life that has been passed down for generations.

The legend of Haritalika Teej is associated with Goddess Parvati’s penance, determination, and unwavering devotion to Lord Shiva. According to the mythological tradition, Sati Devi was reincarnated as Parvati after giving up her body. Since childhood, her mind was devoted to Shiva. According to her family’s wishes, she did not abandon her wish after trying to get her married elsewhere.

With the determination to get Shiva as her life partner, she did severe penance. According to the story, her friends took her away from her father’s wishes and took her to the forest and there she did penance with the determination of Shiva attainment. The name ‘Haritalika’ is believed to be associated with this context. This story can be understood not only as a religious narrative of getting a husband, but also as a symbol of a woman’s self-confidence who remains firm in her decision, does not deviate from her goal even in difficulties, and respects her own desires and consciousness about her life.

Times have changed, society has changed and the role of women has also changed. Therefore, understanding Parvati’s penance in today’s context makes its main message seem more broad. Identifying one’s goals in life, not being afraid of difficulties, being patient and respecting one’s existence and decisions is equally important for today’s generation as well. Dedication is necessary in love, but surrender does not mean losing one’s existence. Family and relationships are important, but self-respect and independent consciousness are equally important. This balance can be a beautiful basis to connect the spiritual aspect of Teej with modern life.

But today, while celebrating Teej, some new trends are growing rapidly in our society, which have started questioning its originality and cultural essence. In the name of Teej, it seems that excessive spending, pretentiousness, extravagant dress, expensive feasts, unnecessary competition, tendency to perform on social media and the race to display lifestyle by rising above one’s financial capacity is increasing. Instead of looking for intimacy and relationships, the happiness of Teej has started to be associated with expensive restaurants, hotels, jewelry, dresses, feasts, and performances. The mentality of seeing others doing it, looking better than others, and proving one’s lifestyle on social media is gradually overshadowing the simplicity and intimacy of the festival.

Modernity itself is not wrong. It is natural for people’s lifestyle to change with time. It is also not wrong to adopt new technology, wear good clothes, meet friends, entertain or celebrate one’s happiness. The problem starts when, in the name of modernity, we forget our abilities, culture and social reality and start competing unwholesomely in the imitation of others. To be modern is not to be flamboyant, but to be conscious. To be prosperous is not to perform, but to live one’s life in a respectful and balanced manner.

We should not lose the originality of our Sanatan culture in the name of modernizing Teej. Rather, our culture should be refined with time. Let us strengthen the traditions that promote humanity, love, family, self-restraint, respect and social harmony. Let us prudently correct the practices that do not match with the times, create discrimination or hurt the self-esteem of the people. To save culture is not to repeat the old thing blindfolded; It is to preserve its essence and make it according to the times.

Another problem that is increasing in the name of Teej today is the display of economic and social inequality. When one family celebrates the festival by spending thousands or millions, another family may be finding it difficult to celebrate the festival in general. In such a situation, instead of sharing happiness, the festival can increase inferiority complex and competition. The beautiful aspect of our culture is that the poor and the affluent, the rich and the poor, the village and the city are all united in one festival. Therefore, it is necessary to create a culture of who shared how much intimacy rather than the competition of who spent how much.

The songs of Teej have also changed over time. In the past, the pain of women, the memories of mothers, social inequality and the realities of life were expressed in the songs. Today, it is natural that the influence of entertainment and modern music is increasing. But in the name of entertainment, obscenity, commentary on the character of a person, unhealthy competition or the tendency to normalize social distortions should not be accepted as culture. Songs, dances and entertainment are beautiful expressions of culture, but they should also have a sense of dignity, beauty and social responsibility.

The fasting associated with Teej can also be understood as a practice of self-restraint and discipline. Fasting does not only mean giving up food or water, but also to return to oneself by controlling one’s desires, senses, and external busyness for some time. Worship, meditation, bhajans, and self-reflection can make a person mentally calm and stable. But the spiritual value of fasting is not in causing pain to the body, but in disciplining the mind. The health condition of all people is not the same, so it is not appropriate to think that the waterless fast is compulsory or beneficial for everyone. The purpose of religion is to make a person responsible and balanced towards life.

The most beautiful aspect of Teej is its social and cultural form. In the traditional Nepali society, it was not always easy for women to express their feelings openly. In such an environment, the songs of Teej became representative of the feelings of women. Memories of mothers, experiences of family, joys and sorrows, pains, hopes, love, and in some cases, voices against social inequality were expressed in the songs of Teej. Therefore, the songs of Teej are not only a means of entertainment, but also oral documents of the social history of Nepali women. Today’s generation needs to connect this tradition with new consciousness. Today’s Teej songs should not only resonate with the pains of the past, but also the education, self-reliance, leadership, entrepreneurship, rights, achievements and dreams of the future.

Rishi Panchami, which comes after Teej, is a festival associated with our knowledge tradition and gratitude to the sages. On this day, there is a tradition of remembering and worshiping Kashyap, Atri, Bharadwaja, Vishwamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni and Vasishtha as Saptarishis. The real essence of Rishi Panchami can be understood as an opportunity to respect and gratitude to the ancestors of knowledge rather than just restricting it to rituals or external rituals. It is our cultural responsibility to remember the contribution made by the sages in the field of knowledge, philosophy, rites and way of life in the development of human civilization. Even though we may not be able to remember our sources of knowledge and forefathers throughout the year, it is a positive rite of passage in itself to be grateful for their contribution once a year.

The issue of menstruation associated with Rishi Panchami is a matter that needs to be understood more sensitively by today’s consciousness. Menstruation is a natural biological process of women. It is not appropriate to create a sense of social discrimination or inferiority on women by associating it with impurity, crime or sin. Even within our tradition, there are various interpretations to understand menstruation as a natural cycle of nature. Over time, the meaning of some religious and social practices changed and in some cases even established meanings different from the original sentiment. Therefore, the need of the hour is not to insult the tradition, but to correct the discriminatory practices that are not in line with the times by preserving the human and positive values within the tradition.

Human civilization has never been static. Over time, society changed, family structure changed, state system was formed, laws were made and interpretations of religious and social practices also changed. A system that was considered necessary yesterday may not be necessary today, and today’s practice may evolve into another form in the future. It is not necessary to understand this as a contradiction of tradition. In fact, for a tradition to be alive is to be able to change by communicating with time. As the river flows, the river remains, but its water is new every moment. Culture is also the same. Its original identity remains, but its expression changes with time.

Today, Nepali society is facing the impact of increasing consumerism and imitation not only on Teej but also while celebrating many other social festivals and rituals. Unnecessary spending and competition in marriage, excessive performance on birthdays, tendency to spend on festivals, competition to show one’s financial condition on social media, unhealthy competition in food and drink, and the mentality of comparing one’s life with the life of others are gradually developing in the form of social pressure. In our society, the mentality of ‘what will others say?’ is forcing some families to spend beyond their actual capacity. This not only increases the financial burden, but can also affect the tension, dissatisfaction and relationships within the family.

We should not link development only with consumption and performance. Real development is the development of consciousness. A family celebrating the festival satisfactorily within its capacity, sharing happiness with its neighbors, honoring old parents, teaching values to children and helping the distressed and the poor is a much bigger cultural achievement than any extravagant celebration. The value of the festival should not be in how much we spend, but in how much love we shared, how much relationships we have formed and how many positive cultures we have passed on to the next generation.

Therefore, the need of the hour is not to abandon our Sanatan culture, but to refine it according to the times. Let us accept the good things and improve the bad things. Let us use modernity, but in the name of modernity, let us not forget our own originality. It is not wrong to learn the good things of others, but it is not wise to imitate blindly. Let us learn from the good culture of the world, but also respect our social reality and cultural identity. We do not need to turn off the lamp of our own house and seek the light of others’ homes.

Today’s Teej should not only give women an opportunity to adorn and enjoy but also give them an opportunity to think about self-reliance, self-respect, education, health, entrepreneurship and leadership. Men should also understand Teej as a common festival related to family, society and culture instead of separating it as a festival of women only. The respect of women should not be limited only to wearing red clothes and good wishes on the day of Teej. Equal treatment, participation in decisions, respect and opportunity in daily life is the real honor.

Similarly, celebrating Rishi Panchami can be taken as an opportunity not only to complete the puja and rituals, but also to remember the ancestors of knowledge, to respect the study and research, and to make the new generation understand the importance of knowledge. The true honor of Rishi Panchami is when we make knowledge the basis of life, learn to question and move forward continuously in the search for truth. The balance between faith and wisdom is important for the future of our culture.

Ultimately, preserving culture is not about repeating all the old practices as they are. It is about identifying the spirit of culture and keeping it alive according to the times. May Teej remind us of Parvati’s self-confidence, love, patience and determination. May the songs of Teej strengthen the voice of women. May our festival encourage intimacy, simplicity and social harmony, not ostentation, extravagance and extravagant lifestyle. May Rishi Panchami inspire us to be grateful to the ancestors of knowledge, to study and to live a rational life.

We should not change the festival, but change our consciousness to celebrate the festival. Let us accept modernity, but let us not lose originality. Let us preserve tradition, but let us not give the name of culture to distortion. Let us learn from others, but do not blindly imitate. Let us spend, but not by going beyond our capacity. Let us celebrate, but not to show it to others, but to share happiness with our people. Only this balanced approach can make our Sanatan culture more beautiful, humane and vibrant with time.

Let there be reverence, but with wisdom. Let there be tradition, but with refinement according to the times. Let modernity come, but with respect for originality. Let there be celebration, but free from pretense and distortion.

May this consciousness become the biggest message of today’s Teej and Rishi Panchami.

Happy Haritalika Teej and Rishi Panchami to all Nepalese sisters and brothers.

– Kshitij Bikram Khanal’s article