Girls’ day out

It was glamour, tradition, culture, arts – and plenty of laughs – at the Punjabi women’s festival Teeyan

Sarsaon ka Atta and badaam

BY DOLLY SINGH MIRANDA

When I think of Teej from my childhood memories of visiting my ‘Vadi mamma’ (grandmother) in a small village in Punjab, these are the images that flash in my mind – brightly dressed women in fluorescent colors of orange, green and yellow, exuberance, loud laughter, excitement, bangles, swings, rain, hot pakodas, kheer, mehendi, giddas and dhols!

Recreating that same festivity, and celebrating our cultural heritage as well as our lives as women, are the reasons why the Teeyan society initiated the Teeyan Teej festival in Sydney in 2007.

Teeyan Teej certainly has an emotive connect with women who grew up celebrating it! In a day of festivities, gay abandon, careless fun and revelry, women can relive their childhood and experience the same excitement.

This year, the festival celebration was held in Bowman Hall in Blacktown, and was attended by 900 women. The event began at 10:30am with each guest welcomed

Women were dressed traditionally in bright lehengas and salwars, but the brightest aspect in the room were definitely the smiles and excitement.

In keeping with the traditions and customs of the festival, there was music and dance galore. Dance performances by the wellknown Purnima Sharma from the Indian Dance Centre; a bhangra by little girls choreographed by Reema Randhawa; gidda by the Kingswood Girls were all in keeping with the spirit of the day. However, the most special and endearing performance of the day was by 70-year-old Mrs. Mallik from the seniors’ group in Blacktown who danced to the tune Madhuban mein radhika naache re. Kudos to Mrs. Mallik!

Other performances included famous Punjabi singer Kirat Maan who sang a medley of Punjabi songs.

Besides the dance performances, heaps of games and quizzes throughout the day with loads of fantastic prizes added to the excitement. Not to forget the high energy and zesty Punjabi and Bollywood music by DJ Dimple!

But perhaps the most eagerly awaited part of the event was the Miss Teeyan and Mrs Teeyan contests. Participants were judged not just by their costumes and knowledge of Punjabi culture and a talent round.

Mrs Amandeep Grewal from the organising committee revealed that the ladies prepare for this contest many weeks in advance.

“Getting together, deciding and planning costumes, which talent to show off, and revising cultural and historical trivia is all part of the build up,” she said.

Interestingly, this year the Miss Teeyan and the Mrs Teeyan titles were won by two ladies with the same name ‘Ramandeep’ (time to change my name perhaps!)

There were several prizes and giveaways including dinner vouchers by leading Indian restaurants in Sydney, gift hampers by Tuli Jewelers and a return ticket to India (courtesy Sairam Travels).

Mr. Amarjeet Khela, CEO of Unique International College very generously gave away 10 free first aid courses and a Diploma of Management course being run at his college.

The food at the event was organised by Billu and suitably comprised festive fare such as spicy samosas, the all-time favourite dahi bhallas, kheer and rasgullas, as well as mains like butter chicken, chole puris, etc.

“The focus of the day was on fun, health and wellbeing,” said Amandeep, one of the principal organizers of the event. “Teeyan Teej aims to bring women together and create harmony and support while having fun.”

The team next year plans to make the event more interactive - with more participation by the seniors’ group, as well as including an educational element with information on health for women.

This mega day of fun and frolic left women eagerly awaiting the next year’s celebration. “Culture and being connected to your roots is an essential part of life, growth and continuity,” concluded Amandeep, and this celebration helps us do just that!

Traditionally in Punjab, the festival of Teeyan welcomes the saawan or monsoon months; it is also a symbolic celebration of married women returning to their maikas (parental homes) for the first time after marriage.

The festival is reminiscent of the smell of freshly made and delicious kheer and puris in the air. Women apply mehendi on hands and wear bright new clothes. Swings are set up especially on trees and there is a lot of merry-making with dancing and music, particular boliyan, gidda and bhangra