Performativity 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 thewell being ofhusband, late husband and would be husband.Teejnowis 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 asTeejhasgone through the transformation because of social changes that occur. Butit still containsperformativityin a tremendous manner. Despite the influences of modernization and social awarenessled by education system, the ritual ofTeejhasmanaged to preserve some inherent cultural qualitiesin its local space by improvising its traditional aspects in new form.