Teej<\/strong><\/p>\n Pramila Karki, Nepal News Bank<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Kathmandu. As Haritalika Teej, which is celebrated as an important cultural festival of Nepali women, approaches, there is a different vibrancy across the country. <\/p>\n Even before the arrival of Teej, there is a buzz of red sarees, green bangles and jewelry in the market. Teej songs start resonating in the neighborhood. Sisters meet, eat, dance and share the joys and sorrows of the year. <\/p>\n But this year’s Teej atmosphere is not like last year’s. After the Rasuwa-Bhotekoshi flood on September 10 last year, the joy of Teej has also been overshadowed by pain. <\/p>\n Some families have lost their relatives, some families have been displaced. Many people’s homes, businesses and property have been washed away by floods and landslides. In such a situation, the enthusiasm to celebrate the festival with the same pomp and show has naturally diminished for many. <\/p>\n Pratima Karki of Bhaktapur says that this time the preparations for Teej have not been as enthusiastic as in the past. According to her, the condition of the families in distress has made her more emotional than celebrating the festival. <\/p>\n She says, “When Teej came, there was already a plan to buy sarees, wear jewelry, meet sisters and eat rates. But this time, seeing so many families suffering in the floods, I did not want to celebrate Teej with the same enthusiasm. While celebrating one’s happiness, it seems as if someone’s pain has been forgotten. ‘<\/p>\n Earlier, with a month left for Teej to come, its excitement had already begun. Sisters used to prepare for the dinner program. Localities, communities, organizations, offices and political parties used to organize special programs for Teej. The venue looked colorful with the presence of women dressed in red saris. Songs, music, and dance made the atmosphere festive. <\/p>\n As Teej approached, there was a separate hustle and bustle in the market, the crowd in the clothing and jewelry shops would increase. The business of beauty items, mehendi and Teej items would increase. Social media also started publishing pictures and videos of new sarees, jewelry, dinner programs and dances. In some places, preparations were made months in advance for the special program of Teej. <\/p>\n This time, the scene has changed to a great extent. Many people say that they do not want to celebrate the pain of the families affected by the floods and landslides. In some places, the programs that were planned to be held have been postponed. <\/p>\n Some programs have been limited to formalities. Many people are thinking of spending the money allocated for Teej for relief and assistance to those affected by disasters. <\/p>\n Laxmi Pandey of Sipadole, Bhaktapur, also said that Teej should be celebrated differently this year.<\/p>\n According to him, it is more important to help the families in distress than large gatherings and expenses. <\/p>\n She says, “Celebrating Teej is a culture, it does not mean that it should be stopped. But in the current situation, instead of spending a lot and organizing a big event, it will be more meaningful if the same amount can be given to help the flood victims.” This time, instead of new clothes and jewelry, I wish to help light a stove in someone’s house. “<\/p>\n Especially when we remember the pain of the families who have lost their relatives and the condition of the displaced, there is no reason to rejoice in the joy of Teej. In some homes, there is more concern about the search and condition of the relatives separated by the floods than about the preparations for Teej. In some places, those who have lost their homes are under the open sky, while in others, family members are waiting for their loved ones. <\/p>\n This is the reason why many women’s groups and social organizations are preparing to celebrate Teej in a different way this year. Some have decided to collect relief, provide food and clothes to the affected families, and help in the rehabilitation. Efforts are also being made to use the money spent on the festival for the victims. <\/p>\n Its impact has also been seen on social media. In the past, before Teej, there used to be a flood of pictures and videos of dances, dinners, new sarees and jewelry. This year, along with such materials, appeals for help for flood and landslide victims, relief distribution and photos and videos of the affected areas have got more space. <\/p>\n This does not mean that the happiness of Teej has disappeared. On the contrary, the way of celebrating Teej this year has become somewhat different. The happiness expressed through large gatherings and grand events in the past may be limited to small gatherings, family prayers, and feelings of support. Dance and music programs may be reduced, the number of food items may decrease, but the number of helping hands may increase. <\/p>\n The meaning of Teej is not limited to wearing new clothes, eating or dancing. It is also a festival of intimacy between sisters, relationship with mother, opportunity to share happiness and sorrow, and mutual harmony. Therefore, understanding the suffering of people in crisis, supporting them and helping them as much as possible can also be a human aspect of Teej. <\/p>\n This year, floods and landslides have extinguished the stove of many families. In some homes, there is a silence of the pain of losing a relative rather than the songs of Teej. Some parents are waiting for their children, while some children are looking for their parents. In such a situation, it is natural for the joy of Teej to look dull. <\/p>\n But in the midst of this pain, Teej can also give an opportunity to bring the society closer. If we cut down on the expenses of the festival, help the victims, meet the lonely families, support them in their grief, and join hands in the post-disaster rehabilitation, then the meaning of this year’s Teej can be deepened. <\/p>\n In the past years, Teej was associated with large gatherings, dinner programs and dances. This year, Teej can become another hallmark of sensitivity, empathy and social responsibility. <\/p>\n Perhaps this time in many places, the songs of Teej will not resonate as loudly as in the past. There will be fewer food programs, the shine of new clothes and jewelry may also be less. But the hand of help raised for the victims, sympathy for the families of the victims and the feeling of standing in each other’s grief can be the biggest celebration of this year’s Teej. <\/p>\n Mahendra <\/p>\n Ratna Shakya, president of the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers Association, said that although the trend of buying new jewelry during festivals was strong in the past, about 70 percent of the consumers are now looking to sell old gold instead of buying new ones. <\/p>\n ‘From Teej to Dashain-Tihar, the main time for the sale of jewelry, make-up and beauty items is the main time. But now that the purchasing power of Nepalis is weak, many people are thinking of selling old gold to make ends meet. The current disaster has also not kept the market moving,” he said. <\/p>\n This year’s Teej, which comes amid the pain of floods and landslides, has an important message: the joy of the festival is meaningful only when one can remember the sorrows of others in one’s own happiness.<\/p>\n This year, although the joy of Teej has faded a bit, the light of human sensitivity and cooperation has become stronger, this will be the most beautiful meaning of this festival. <\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Teej Pramila Karki, Nepal News Bank Kathmandu. As Haritalika Teej, which is celebrated as an important cultural festival of Nepali women, approaches, there is a different vibrancy across the country. Even before the arrival of Teej, there is a buzz of red sarees, green bangles and jewelry in the market. Teej songs start resonating inContinue reading “Teej pale due to the pain of disaster”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":101308,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[147],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-101313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-samachar-en"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/arthakhabar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/photo_0289ab07.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arthakhabar.com\/ak_api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101313","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arthakhabar.com\/ak_api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arthakhabar.com\/ak_api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arthakhabar.com\/ak_api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101313"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/arthakhabar.com\/ak_api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101313\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":101314,"href":"https:\/\/arthakhabar.com\/ak_api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101313\/revisions\/101314"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arthakhabar.com\/ak_api\/wp\/v2\/media\/101308"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arthakhabar.com\/ak_api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arthakhabar.com\/ak_api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arthakhabar.com\/ak_api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}