Blog - Hariyali Teej: Celebrating the Green Spirit of Indian Culture

Blog No. 2525/PI - Written by - 

Ruchira Nigam, Project Coordinator, Prithvi Innovations &

Ms. Anuradha Gupta, Founder General Secretary, Prithvi Innovations

Click To Read in Hindi

"Where there is greenery, there is life. Where there is nature, there is celebration."

India, a land of diverse festivals, beautifully weaves together culture, spirituality, and environmental consciousness. Among the many festivals that mark the rhythm of our seasons, Hariyali Teej holds a unique place. Celebrated in the lush month of Shravan (July–August), when the monsoon breathes life into the earth, Hariyali Teej is a joyous ode to nature, womanhood, and divine love.

Prithvi Innovations and the Spirit of Hariyaali Teej:

At Prithvi Innovations, we strive to revive this ecological consciousness embedded in our cultural festivals. We reach out to various socio- cultural women's  clubs in different societies and help them integrate environmental consciousness in their celebrations and also switch to chemical free, natural, home made, herbal beauty products and avoid unnecessary glamourization & commercialization of the rich tradition of Hariyaali Teej. 

Through our plantation drives, Guthli Bank campaigns, and Umang-Green Celebrations, we aim to reconnect individuals — especially youth and women — with nature, just as Hariyali Teej has done for centuries.

• We conduct Vrish Vandan, planting native trees, which are getting extinct. 

• We organize various innovative, Zero- Waste Haryali Teej events, creating and celebrating the close bonds with Rains, trees, forests and India's rich traditions deeply rooted in sustainability. 

Our Hariyali Teej events spread the message of reducing plastic waste, to go green by adopting & exchanging green, hand made, upcycled gifts as part of our Bhoomija green Livelihood Mission.

We organize Vrish bandara, plantation drive and celebrate and protect the rich biodiversity around us. 

Some of our green initiatives aligned with the spirit of Hariyali Teej:

🌱 Green Campus Plantation Drives in schools and colleges 

🍈 Guthli Bank – Seed saving and growing initiative 

🌸 Umang- Eco-friendly Celebrations – No-plastic, nature-positive events 

👩‍🏫 Health in our hands - promoting hethy and mindful eating, snacking during festivals.

• Conducting special cooking workshops to teach healthy festive dishes out of fruits and natural ingredients, rather than eating too much processed sweets etc..

• Annapoorna Rasoi- Engaging women to share their happiness by doing some community work like volunteering and help us provide food to the hungry, clothes to the needy on these festive occasions. 

• Sensitization Workshops on traditional festivals and biodiversity. 

• We invite educational institutions, RWAs, and communities to join us in celebrating festivals like Hariyali Teej not only as cultural events but as green movements.

🔗 Join Our Plantation Drives

• Prithvi Utsav - Our Plantation Drive - https://www.prithviinnovations.org/services-4

 🔗 Know More About Guthli Bank - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ja9sKcSoL2DqkkWA0TXaUT0Lq6JbwFirwaJFqkG0Q5o/edit?usp=sharing

 🔗 Invite Us for a Plastic free Sensitization Workshop

For further assistance, kindly mail us at joinhandswithprithvi@gmail.com or Call us at: 9305483307 Or Visit our office - https://share.google/kSt2p8NnlnwRQL296 or our website - http://www.prithviinnovations.org

The Cultural Essence of Hariyali Teej

Hariyali Teej, literally meaning “Green Teej”, is celebrated on the third day of the waxing moon in the month of Shravan. It commemorates the sacred reunion of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, symbolizing devotion, marital harmony, and feminine strength.

Women, especially in states like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh, celebrate by:

• Observing a nirjala vrat (fast without water),

• Dressing in green attire (symbolizing prosperity and growth),

• Singing traditional folk songs, and

• Swinging joyfully on decorated jhulas tied to trees.

The festival is not only a religious observance but also a cultural ritual deeply rooted in ecological awareness.

Deep Connection with Nature

Hariyali Teej coincides with the monsoon, a time when trees bloom, rivers swell, and life flourishes. Every ritual echoes a profound respect for the environment:

• Swings are tied to banyan or neem trees, invoking joy under the canopy of nature.

• Women sing songs that praise rain, rivers, greenery, and crops, reflecting the traditional knowledge systems tied to agriculture and ecology.

• The green dress code and application of mehendi are symbolic of harmony with the earth and natural beauty.

• Sharing sweets like Ghewar, made from seasonal ingredients, promotes seasonal eating.

Hariyali Teej reminds us that our festivals were designed to align us with nature’s rhythms, urging us to pause and cherish the natural cycles around us.

In Conclusion

Hariyali Teej is more than a celebration of love and womanhood — it is a reminder of our sacred relationship with the Earth. As the trees sway and the clouds pour, this festival nudges us to look around and honor the life-giving forces of nature.

Let’s not only celebrate Teej with rituals and sweets, but also with acts of sustainability — by planting trees, saving seeds, reducing waste, and reviving traditional knowledge systems.

This Teej, let us together say:

“Hariyali Teej ho prakriti ke saath, har kadam ho dharti ke saath.”

🌿 हरियाली तीज का सन्देश 🌿

(एक प्रकृति प्रेम की कविता)

बरखा आई, धरा मुस्काई, पेड़ों ने ली अंगड़ाई, हरियाली तीज ने फिर से, प्राणों में गूँजी शहनाई।

पार्वती की पूजा में, है श्रद्धा और विश्वास, 

हर व्रती नारी रखे, प्रकृति से अपना स्नेह-विलास।

पेड़ की शाखों पर झूले, हँसी में घुला संगीत, 

हर पत्ता बोले धरती से — तू ही है मेरी प्रीत।

मेहंदी की लाली में बसी है,

धरती की सुगंध, 

गठली से उगते पौधे,

हैं जीवन के छंद।

आओ मिलकर बोएं बीज, हर आशा को सींचें, प्रकृति का त्योहार बनाकर, नव जीवन की रेखा खींचें।

हर तीज बने हरियाली का, हर कदम धरती के साथ, प्रकृति की इस पूजा में, प्रीत हो हर इक साँस।

इस कविता के साथ, Prithvi Innovations आपको आमंत्रित करता है — इस हरियाली तीज पर एक पेड़ लगाने, एक गठली संजोने, और प्रकृति के प्रति अपना संकल्प दोहराने के लिए।