erformativity and Improvisation in Teej Festival

Abstract

Teej is the greatest festival of the Hindu women, often celebrated by Nepalese Hindu women take fasting and pray for the long life of the husbands as they regard their husband as the incarnation of Lord Shiva. Without taking a single drop of water Hindu women take fasting for the well being of husband, late husband and would be husband. Teej now is under the grip of modernization and globalization by the modern education system thereby gradually losing its inherent ritual performativity aspects in its local space. The very process of ritualistic practices known as Teej has gone through the transformation because of social changes that occur. But it still contains performativity in a tremendous manner. Despite the influences of modernization and social awareness led by education system, the ritual of Teej has managed to preserve some inherent cultural qualities in its local space by improvising its traditional aspects in new form.