Teeyan is the Punjabi name of the festival of Teej which is celebrated in Punjab which is dedicated to the onset of the monsoon and focuses on daughters and sisters.
Celebration
The festival is celebrated during the monsoon season from the third day of the lunar month of Sawan on the bright half, up to the full moon of sawan, by women. Married women go to their maternal house to participate in the festivities. In the past, it was traditional for women to spend the whole month of Sawan with their parents. This is what the famous Muslim poet Babu Razab Ali wrote about this degrading festival of women: Naach Karvonde Si Blaa Ke Dheaa Je, Sogh Payge Arsh Me, Oodo deaa lageaa lagan teea ji, Bharat barsh me. Utam Kull Di Karn Bachatree, Marte Malesh Ji Hind Te Dharam Di Khalri Chatar, Pitaa Ji Dashmesh Ne. To give a brief translation, Baba Razab Ali writes that this celebration started when Muslims used to pick up the good lookingIndian women and make them dance infront of people. It must be very disgraceful for women to dance at such places, but now them, especially the Punjabans take great pride in celebrating these things. Guru Sahib clears tells us that indulging in things like dancing is total manmat: nach nach hasse chale se roe.. And then the poet tells us that these things were finally put to stop when Pitaa Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji took a stand against the evil Muslim rulers. But we have again started doing these things again.
Gifts
Whether or not a married woman goes to her parents, brothers take a gift set to their sisters called a 'sandhara'. A sandhara includes a Punjabi Suit/sari, laddoo, bangles, mehndi and a swing.
Gidha and swings
The festival of teeyan centres on girls and women getting together in the village green and tying swings to the trees. The festival gathers momentum in the teeyan Gidha. Traditional bolyan which are sung to dance Gidha include: Punjabi:
ਓੁੱਚੇ ਟਾਹਣੇ ਪੀਂਘ ਪਾ ਦੇ ਜਿਥੇ ਆਪ ਹੁਲਾਰਾ ਆਵੇ
Uchay tahne peeng pa de jithey aap hulara aavey
Translation
Hang my swing from a high tree branch where the swing moves by itself
The main focus of the teeyan is dancing Giddha. In the past, the festival would last for as long as the girls wishes ranging from a few days to four weeks. Girls would gather to dance Giddha every day. The festival would close by the women performing the closing dance called 'bhallho'. Bhallo or ballo is performed by the women standing in two rows and dancing. This tradition of women getting together in villages has now become extinct.
Gulgullay which are made from jaggery syrup mixed with wheat flour and then made into balls, and then fried
Mandey are made of wheat floor but the dough is thin. The flat mandey bread is not rolled out using a rolling pin but stretched with the hands and then placed on the back of both hands before being put on the griddle to bake.
Observance
Punjabis consider teeyan as a seasonal festival. Although the teeyan gatherings are not as common in the villages in Punjab, the festival is observed on a low-key scale, especially in schools and colleges. Government sponsored teeyan festivals are observed at pre-selected sites. Festivals are held in Surrey, and Brampton in Canada and in other countries outside of India such as in Southall and Smethwick in the United Kingdom. Festivals are also organised in MelbourneAustralia. and in Singapore.
