Kathmandu ( AsiaNews)
- A hymn to materialism , rather than a celebration of faith and spirituality :
that's how many experts describe the traditional festival of Teej , the largest
Hindu celebration dedicated to women. The
festival which ended yesterday , according to some highlights the gap between
rich and poor, rather than being a time of fellowship and prayer for the
faithful .
"The
festival - Govinda Tandon representative of the temple of Pashupatinath told AsiaNews, - has its sacredness and shows
the devotion of women to the god Shiva. Today, however, we see an exhibition of
personal material superiority, instead of faith. There is
a huge rush to use expensive jewelry, which faith does not require. This desire
for superiority is creating a gap between rich and poor that is likely to create
a conflict in the community".
Dedicated
to the goddess Parvati commemorating her union with Lord Shiva , the festival
of Teej is an opportunity for Hindu women - married and unmarried - to ask for
a happy married life or to find their great love . According
to tradition, a day before the fast of Teej women gather together to share gifts
of food, clothing, and jewelry , wearing a red sari . During
fasting - which lasts from sunrise to sunset - they can not touch even a drop
of water and have to sing hymns and songs before the images or temples
dedicated to Shiva.
With
each passing year, however , this celebration is losing its "spiritual"
meaning, and it is not uncommon to hear of young women - especially from poor castes
- who sell
a kidney to buy jewelry to donate to Teej .