Punjab, the land of cultural extravaganzas and fantastic folklores is also renowned for its colorful and exuberant dances. Besides the internationally acclaimed Bhangra and Gidda, other lesser known but equally vigorous folk dances like Teeyan deserve special mention.
Teeyan is performed by the Punjabi women folk in conjunction with Gidda and resembles the latter in more ways than one. Teeyan is more of a festival where the women folk celebrate their womanhood than a seasoned Punjabi dance form.
Celebrated during the month of Sawan i.e. the monsoon season, Teeyan is performed under the shade of leafy trees along the riverbanks of the numerous rivers of fertile Punjab. To welcome the married ladies of Punjab back into their parental homes, their brothers build sturdy wooden swings for them and attach them to the branches of the trees for their beloved sisters to relax in.
The married women gradually arrive at their parent’s warm and inviting abode where they are welcomed with open arms. As they enjoy their days of leisure and relaxation, swinging to and fro on their bother’s gift and singing and dancing away to glory, the ladies musically narrate their marital woes, conjugal bliss and other general counterparts to each other. To celebrate Teeyan, they are clad in their best finery and resemble angels.
The celebrations continue until the third lunar day in the month until the full moon is sighted. The curtains come down on the lavish Teeyan festivities, a colorful and joyous kalaidescope for the married women with an elaborate concluding ceremony.
