Generally, this celebration starts off and ends with delicious feasts often at the parental homes of married women. Many write about the advantages of this festival for women. I highlight only some of these, which I believe are worth reiterating.
Although this festival used to be almost exclusively celebrated by people belonging to certain Hindu castes, members of other groups are increasingly beginning to celebrate, perhaps because of its social side. Teej seems to be more of a ‘women’s festival’ these days transcending castes and ethnic delimitation. This is perhaps a reflection of how women identify this festival as a means of bonding amongst themselves and at the same time a reminder to all of us of how cultures evolve over time and allow, in some case, assimilation of social groups.
I think many would agree that the festival has helped women make themselves ‘visible’. From inside their houses to public places like the streets, community buildings and even hotels and restaurants, women are visible, rejoicing with excitement. Various forms of media get busy capturing the thousands of women either together and/or in large groups. The irony is women often do not get this attention of the media and other stakeholders when it comes to discussions about violence against women, women’s rights or women’s work (both paid and unpaid) in the economy, to name a few. Therefore, the festival is one of the means to remind the various stakeholders that ‘women do count’.
The festival has also created a platform for raising consciousness and awareness on a vast number of issues from social to political. Many development organizations find it a useful platform to conduct awareness campaigns. In situations where getting women out of their homes (and daily chores) is tough, the festival makes it possible for a large number of women to get together in one place. It is culturally legitimized as it has made it convenient for women to visit their parental homes, get together and share their feelings amongst women folk, sing, dance and just be merry. This togetherness is also presumed to strengthen the bond between women as a group. Therefore, there are many positive aspects of celebrating the festival if only the essence of the festival had not taken such dramatic changes in the past few years raising the question: Where is the Teej celebration heading?
The festival is taking a competitive turn as many women choose best restaurants, expensive attire and gifts to turn it into an occasion to show-off their wealth and status. Teej is losing its spirit.
Let us first of all look at the celebration process, which has in the past years gained prominence in the Nepali society. Agreeing to the various benefits of the celebration for women, I wish to take deeper inroads into making two contentions. Firstly, I believe the festival reinforces the patriarchal structure of our society, which many feminists and women rights activists have been fighting against. Secondly, I believe the celebrations are increasingly getting commercialised, especially in the cities.
Let me elaborate on the first contention related to the reinforcement of patriarchal structure. I am constantly trying to figure out the plight of women and young girls (who inherit the tradition), say, a decade from now. Women and young girls would still be fasting (the practice may have changed from no water to fruits to vegetarian diet) for marital bliss and/or holding on to the aspirations of finding a ‘good’ husband. In that case, where is the social transformation? Strange and yet ironic is how the festival is reinforcing patriarchy in various ways. Another activity is the entire purification processes that women undergo on the Rishi Panchami day, which reinforces the stereotype that suggests that women are impure because of menstruation. It is also believed that the purification of the body washes off their sins!
The other side of the coin is that patriarchal structure does not necessarily benefit all men. Although women are the core actors during this festival, it also involves men as the fathers/brothers of women who invite their daughter/sisters to the parental home for the celebration. There is some kind of tension among some men who find it hard to maintain or rather fulfil this ‘managerial role’ as the celebration can be stressful as it involves not just managing but also resources. Resources need to be arranged for providing sumptuous feasts and giving out expensive gifts in the form of money, clothes and jewellery. If they are not able to comply with the changing dynamics of the celebration process, there could be questions raised on the men’s so-called role of the provider. How many men talk about the psychological stress they undergo as the festival approaches? I believe if social transformation required dismantling this patriarchal structure that oppresses women irrespective of class and caste; it would benefit the men folk as well.
My second contention is the manner in which the festival is being celebrated in the recent years. Those who can afford organize the celebration in star hotels, big restaurants and party palaces, while others who cannot do so in their homes. My concern is the pressure to make purchases that this commercialisation is leading to.
The festival is taking a competitive turn as many women choose best restaurants, expensive attire and gifts to turn it into an occasion to show-off their wealth and status. While the focus is on the number of dishes being served, the kind of jewellery or sari/attire worn, and the price of gifts being distributed, the Teej festival itself is losing its spirit. The competition affects men too as they compete amongst themselves to be the best ‘provider’. Perhaps it is time to think of a ‘genuine reconfiguration of Teej festival’ and to ask: Is Teej festival a boon or a bane for social transformation? I leave it to the readers as food for thought. Happy Teej!
The writer is a PhD student at the University of Warwick, United Kingdom
mona_adhikari@yahoo.com
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