Teeyan ( pa, ਤੀਆਂ) is the regional name of the festival of
Teej
Teej ( ne, तीज, Tīja, translit-std=ISO) is the generic name for a number of Hindu festivals that are celebrated by women and girls. and welcome the monsoon season and are celebrated primarily by girls and women, with singing, dancing, ...
which is celebrated throughout
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
which is dedicated to the onset of the
monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...
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
Sāwaṇ or Sāuṇ ( pa, ਸਾਵਣ, ਸਾਉਣ, ) is the fifth month in the Nanakshahi calendar. Many Indian calendars started in different eras such as Shaka Calendar (national calendar of India) traditional Vikrama as well as the Nanak ...
on the bright half, up to the full moon of
sawan
Sāwaṇ or Sāuṇ ( pa, ਸਾਵਣ, ਸਾਉਣ, ) is the fifth month in the Nanakshahi calendar. Many Indian calendars started in different eras such as Shaka Calendar (national calendar of India) traditional Vikrama as well as the Nanak ...
(about 13 days), by women. Married women go to their maternal house to participate in the festivities.
[Alop Ho Raha Punjabi Virsa: Harkesh Singh KehalUnistar Books PVT Ltd ] In the past, it was traditional for women to spend the whole month of
Sawan
Sāwaṇ or Sāuṇ ( pa, ਸਾਵਣ, ਸਾਉਣ, ) is the fifth month in the Nanakshahi calendar. Many Indian calendars started in different eras such as Shaka Calendar (national calendar of India) traditional Vikrama as well as the Nanak ...
with their parents.
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
A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)The name of the garment in various regional languages include:
* as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO
* bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO
* gu, સાડી, sāḍī, translit-std= ...
,
laddoo
''Laddu'' or ''laddoo'' (; ms, kuih laddu; id, kue laddu) is a spherical sweet originating from India and spread through the Indian subcontinent and the Malay world. Laddus are primarily made from flour, fat (ghee/butter/oil) and sugar or j ...
,
bangle
Bangles are traditionally rigid bracelets which are usually made of metal, wood, glass or plastic. These ornament are worn mostly by women in the Indian subcontinent, Southeastern Asia, Arabian Peninsula, and Africa. It is common to see a bride ...
s,
mehndi
Mehndi () is a form of body art and temporary skin decoration from the Indian subcontinent usually drawn on hands or legs. They are decorative designs that are created on a person's body, using a paste, created from the powdered dry leaves of ...
(henna) and a swing.
File:Boondi laddoo.JPG, Boondi laddoo
File:"Bangles..jpg, Bangles
File:Mehandi.jpg, Mehandi
Mehndi () is a form of body art and temporary skin decoration from the Indian subcontinent usually drawn on hands or legs. They are decorative designs that are created on a person's body, using a paste, created from the powdered dry leaves of ...
File:Shalwar kameez Colours.jpg, Punjabi suit
File:Columpio.jpg, 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
Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan
* Punjabi language
* Punjabi people
* Punjabi dialects and languages
Punjabi may also refer to:
* Punjabi (horse), a British Th ...
:
''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
Giddha ( pa, گدها, ਗਿੱਧਾ, ) is a popular folk dance of women in the Punjab region. The dance is often considered derived from the ancient dance known as the ring dance and is just as energetic as bhangra; at the same time it mana ...
. 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
Giddha ( pa, گدها, ਗਿੱਧਾ, ) is a popular folk dance of women in the Punjab region. The dance is often considered derived from the ancient dance known as the ring dance and is just as energetic as bhangra; at the same time it mana ...
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.
File:Haryali Teej.jpg, Woman celebrating teeyan
File:Gidha.jpg, Gidha
File:Giddha dance Teeyan Punjab Teej India 2.jpg, Giddha dance Teeyan Punjab
File:Teean 1.jpg, Teeyan Gidha
File:Giddha dance Teeyan Punjab Teej India.jpg, Giddha dance Teeyan Punjab Teej India
Food
The food traditionally associated with teeyan is:
* kheer (rice boiled in milk)
* poorhay (fried bread)
*
halwa
Halva (also halvah, halwa, and other spellings, Persian : حلوا) is a type of confectionery originating from Persia and widely spread throughout the Middle East. The name is used for a broad variety of recipes, generally a thick paste made f ...
*
malpua
Malpua, or sometimes shortened to pua, is an Indian sweet served as a dessert or a snack originating from the Indian subcontinent, popular in India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
History
Barley was the most prolific grain eaten by the ''arya'' of the ...
(spelled malpura)
* Gulgullay ( pa, ਗੁਲਗੁਲੇ) which are made from jaggery syrup mixed with wheat flour and then made into balls, and then fried
* Mandey ( pa, ਮੰਡੇ) 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.
[Alop ho riha Punjabi virsa - bhag dooja by Harkesh Singh Kehal Unistar Book PVT Ltd ]
File:Punjab Da Halwa.jpg, Punjab da halwa
File:Malpua- Indian sweet-dish.JPG, Malpura sweet-dish
File:MalPua.JPG, Malpura
File:Gulgula.jpg, Gulgule
File:Kheer.jpg, Kheer
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
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
and in other countries outside of India such as in
Southall
Southall () is a large suburban county of West London, England, part of the London Borough of Ealing and is one of its seven major towns. It is situated west of Charing Cross and had a population of 69,857 as of 2011. It is generally divided ...
and
Smethwick
Smethwick () is an industrial town in Sandwell, West Midlands, England. It lies west of Birmingham city centre. Historically it was in Staffordshire.
In 2019, the ward of Smethwick had an estimated population of 15,246, while the wider bu ...
in the United Kingdom. Festivals are also organised in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
.
Teeyan Melbourne diyan 2015
/ref> and in Singapore.
References
{{Commons category, Teeyan
Festivals in India
Punjabi festivals