Cold evening did not deter the spirit of over 130 women who gathered at Lakes Hayes Pavilion last Saturday to celebrate Teej amid dance, music, culture and a lot of fun.
Women celebrated the festival with great flamboyant display of colours, festivities, traditions and bonding in the community.
The women and kids only event started with gidda (a folk-dance form from Punjab), singing folk songs and celebrating together. Enthusiastic participation in a ramp walk was the highlight of the event. Women also enjoyed musical chair that kept up the spirit.
Some women came forward to share their journeys in New Zealand. This encouraged many to learn from each other and bond together as they navigate their way in settling down as migrants, spouses of migrants and international students in Aotearoa.
Navneet Kaur, an attendee, said, “Bhartiya Samaj’s Teej is the only celebrations in Queenstown that bring women of the region together and provide us a chance to display colours and traditions of India here.”
Chairperson of Bhartiya Samaj Queenstown Charitable Trust Jeet Suchdev QSM JP said, “The objective of celebrating traditional festivals like Teej is to ensure the families are strongly connected to their roots, and take pride in their culture and identities.”
Vice president of Bhartiya Samaj Queenstown Charitable Trust Poonam Sethi, who was also part of the celebrations, said she was pleased to see such an enthusiastic participation.
“We are absolutely thrilled to have women of all ages and regions here enjoying cultural performances, singing folk music and taking part in dance performances. While older women sang folk songs to add flavour to the traditional values of Teej, young women recounted their journeys of struggle, happiness and bonding with community in Queenstown.”
Women dressed up in their traditional attires and jewellery came from different parts of India including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and even Kiwi and Pasifika women.
President of Bhartiya Samaj Queenstown Charitable Trust Mangal Behal called the event “remarkably successful”. “Such events give women an opportunity to celebrate festivals in the same traditional way they used to celebrate back in their home countries. The remarkable success of this event gives us the confidence and motivation to continue to organise events to raise awareness on the rich cultural heritage of India.”
Celebrated during monsoon in India, the festival is believed to represent the union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Women seek marital bliss, well-being of their families, and harmony in married life on this day.
Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust was founded by Jeet Suchdev QSM JP about 28 years ago in Auckland. The trust has spread its wings across New Zealand and Australia with chapters in Auckland, Queenstown, Canterbury, Wellington & Manawatu, and Brisbane, Australia.
Bhartiya Samaj works extensively to help senior citizens, new migrants, students, and children to integrate in the New Zealand way of life whilst maintaining deep-rooted relationship with traditions and culture of India.
Queenstown chapter of Bhartiya Samaj organises several festivals including Diwali, Holi, Teej, Lohri and special cultural and well-being workshops for children, women and senior citizens throughout the year to dedicatedly serve diverse communities in South Island.
The event was sponsored and supported by Queenstown Lakes District Council, NZ Mortgages, Radio Sadeaala and Bombay Palace.