Vrindavan 2016.08.04 (VT): Vrindavan is all set to welcome Hariyali Teej tomorrow. Temples, math, and ashrams are getting their swings (hindola) ready for Thakur Ji as a part of the tradition followed on this festival.
In the rainy season, everything becomes green. To celebrate this, all the temples are filled with green decorations of various kinds, leaves, flowers and green cloth and flags.
A few temple are cleaning old swings whereas others are getting new ones for their respective Lords.
Thakur Bankey Bihari Ji, Radha Damodar and Radha Raman temples will celebrate the festival with gold-silver swings. Radha Shyam Sundar, Radha Gopinath, Radha Madan Mohan, Radha Govid Dev are also setting up swings in which Thakur Ji will enjoy daily evening from tomorrow till Raksha-bandhan on August 18.
Radha Damodar’s Braj Bhushan Lal Goswami told our correspondent that different swings will be there for 2 or 3 days at the temple. All these swings will be made up of gold and silver and decorated with flowers, leaves and precious stones.
Radha Gokulanand is ready to extend the celebration by organising “Rai-Raja” leela of Lord. Shrivas Pujari and Purushottam Goswami informed our correspondent that in the leela, Radha Rani will be dressed like a king, whereas Krishna will be dressed as Security In-charge, with some thieves around. Iskcon Vrindavan (Krishna Balaram temple) is also preparing to celebrate the festival in a grand way.
Radha Shyamsundar in Iskcon’s Krishna Balaram temple (File Photo)
Different temple will also be celebrating this festival with swings made up of leafs, decorated with flowers and other decorative item, in which Thakur Ji will give darshan all around Vrindavan. People used to provide a natural feel and look to swings earlier whch has been replaced by gold and silver swings over a span of time.
Hariyali or Hartalika Teej
Hartalika is a combination of harita and aalika which mean “abduction” and “female friend” respectively. Teej comes from tritiya or the third day of the waxing or waning fortnight.
According to the legend of Hartalika Teej, Goddess Parvati, incarnated as Shailaputri, the daughter of Himalaya, who had promised her hand in marriage to Lord Vishnu at the suggestion of Narada Muni.
On hearing this, Parvati told a friend about her father’s decision. The friend took Parvati deep into the thick forest so that her father would not be able to find her and marry her to Vishnu against her wish.
On the third day of the bright half of Bhadra month, Goddess Parvati made a Shiva lingam out of her hair and prayed. Lord Shiva was so impressed that he gave his word that he would marry her.
This is what indeed happened, they were married with her father’s blessing. Since then, the day is referred to as Haritalika Teej as Goddess Parvati’s female (aalika) friend had to abduct (harit) her in order for the her to achieve her goal of marrying Lord Shiva.
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