Lambada culture blooms at Teej festival

Amanagal: The Lamabada tribal women of Medigadda Tanda in Amangal mandal of Kalwakurthy constituency celebrated the ‘Teej Festival’ on Monday. As part of the festival young girls dressed in colourful traditional attire carry the paddy seed saplings on their heads and later take a procession around the village in a colourful ceremony and later prayers offered at the village temple.

The traditional Lambada culture came alive in the Medigadda as the community started celebrations of Teej festival on the auspicious Aasada Masam. As part of the celebrations Rambaal Nayak member of SC/ST Commission and TRS state leader Goli Srinivas also took part and congratulated the villagers on the occasion.

Usually the Teej Festival is celebrated by the Lamabada tribes for 9 days. The celebration starts with sowing of wheat or Bengal gram in woven bowls on the first day which will sprout on the ninth days. The sprouts will be taken out in procession around the village in a colourful ceremony and prayers will be offered at the village temple.

The elderly women wore traditional dresses and younger women were dressed colourfully. They were seen taking part in the procession by performing folk dances. The younger girls participate in the festival to pray the goddess Seethla Bhavani seeking good husband for them and the married women will pray for the well-being of their husband.

As part of the Teej festival, each household in Tanda would invite all their relatives to celebrate the ninth day of festival and organise a grand party for them. Speaking to Rambaal Nayak said, “Teej is a festival of Monsoon season and particularly the women folk pray the Seetla Bhavani and get her blessings. With Bhavani’s blessings, we hope the Tribal villages will further prosper both socially and economically,” said Rambaal Nayak.