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Hundreds of fasting Hindu women on Tuesday thronged the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, paying obeisance to Lord Shiva, following the age-old tradition.

"For the Teej, we took a bath and started fasting past midnight; before that, we ate only those foods considered sacred. Today, on the day of Teej, all fasting Hindu women refrain from eating or drinking anything, not even water, in observance of the long life of their husbands, a tradition that has continued for ages. As per the scriptures, Goddess Parvati also kept a similar kind of fast. Following our religious scripture, which mentions the fasting by Goddess Parvati and our grandmothers, mothers have been following this tradition, which we have continued," Bhima Subedi, a fasting Nepali Hindu devotee, told ANI.

Women on this third day of dark half of the lunar month that falls in the Nepali month of Bhadra observe fasting and wish for a prosperous life while observing the festival. Soon after performing rituals at the temple, hundreds of fasting Nepali women gathered in the outer square, singing and dancing. Through the songs, women share their pain and sorrow about the hardships they have faced, accompanied by a blend of melody.

"We have kept fasting after bath and only having the foods that are considered pure. The fast will continue throughout the day, tomorrow morning we will break the fast," Parbati Panta, another fasting devotee, told ANI.

"Throughout the day we sing and dance, sisters scattered all across gather at one place, we would feast and share sorrows and pain with each other," Panta added.

The 'Teej' festival is also celebrated as 'Haritalika', Hindu Nepalese women offer prayers and worship at Pashupatinath Temple and other temples of Lord Shiva in other parts of the country.

According to the 'Skanda Puran' (a religious scripture of the Hindus), this festival got the name 'Haritalika Teej' as it was on this very day in the 'Satya Yug' (golden epoch of truth) that the daughter of the Himalayas, Parvati, was hidden by her maids because of her refusal to marry Lord Vishnu.

A day before 'Teej' on the night of the second day of the fortnight in the month of Bhadau, women enjoy a variety of delicious dishes known as 'Dar' at their parental home where they are especially invited for this purpose. The women on the day of 'Teej' are seen engrossed in jubilant dancing and singing in a carefree mood.

Women put on bangles, 'Pote' (a necklace made of glass beads), 'Tilahari' and 'Sindur' (crimson powder) considered the symbols of good luck and dress themselves up in red saris or other red outfits and adorn themselves with different kinds of ornaments.

Women in the morning today take ritual baths and offer worship while in the evening they pay homage to Lord Shiva, light lamps and spend the night awake.

The next day, the last day of the festival is marked by the women performing religious and traditional rituals such as the use of 108 stems of 'Datiwan' (a kind of holy plant) while bathing using mud.

They also worship the legendary 'Saptarishis' (seven sages) and offer alms, thus completing the fast. Both married and unmarried women perform various 'pujas' (worships) and observe fasting, praying for fulfillment of their wish for a happy and prosperous married life.

As per the tradition, married women celebrate this festival wishing long life for their husbands while the unmarried women who worship Lord Shiva and Parvati are believed to find an eligible groom.

- ANI