Bhutanese refugees celebrated Teej festival in various states of America organizing various programmes as this festival is moreover great for women.

The women committee of Australian Bhutanese Welfare Organization (ABWO) under the coordination of Maya Adhikari organised the Teej amidst special event at the North Melbourne Institute of Technology (NMIT) Hall in Broadmeadows.

The celebration was marked in three stages – Haritalika Teej puja on August 31, Rishi Panchami puja on September 2 at Hem Lal Adhikari’s residence where women from the community gathered and performed puja under the guidance of Pandit Mitra Lal Adhikari followed by gathering in the NMIT Hall where more than 230 community members participated. They performed traditional dances of teej, sangini by the senior women group and concluded by Vajan and Kirtan. Pandit Adhikari inculcated the importance and meaning of Teej to young boys and girls.

On the September 4, Bhutanese participated in the Ganesh Chauthi celebration organized by the Darebin Council. Statue of Lord Ganesh was made available through Australian devotee Mr Ken, who has been doing this for last 7 years, for the function.
Bhutanese in Salt Lake City, Utah celebrated Teej 2011 amidst special program at a local library community hall  the September 3rd 2011, in south Salt Lake area.
Bhima Sapkota and Chudamuni Dulal of Women and Cultural Committee , Bhutanese Community in Utah(BCU) who jointly coordinated to organize the program to mark Teej 2011 informed BNS that the main purpose of organizing this program was to mark Teej, the biggest festival for Hindu women and to inform the local people and young generation about the importance of the festival.
Bhutanese in Charlotte, North Carolina marked Teej amidst a special function at a Hindu Temple today.
Chief Coordinator of the Organizing Committee, Hasta Pradhan, informed BNS that the program was organized to mark Teej, one of the biggest festivals for Hindu women, with an objective of preserving culture and tradition.

An estimated 200-plus Bhutanese gathered in a Hall at an Indian-American-run Hindu Temple to mark the festival.

Around three hundred Bhutanese-Nepali women of Syracuse , NY have participated in a group Snan (Holy Bath) to mark this year’s Rishi Panchami amidst a big function today.

The women were seen wearing sari and blouse and holding plates that contained flowers and sweets needed for Puja following the Snan.

The program, that was organized by the Bhutanese Community of Syracuse (BCS) at the beach of Green Lake was viewed with great excitement, and as a means to pass the cultural practices to the younger generation.

According to Hari Bangale, the president of BCS, the program was actually organized so that the younger girls, along with their elders can participate at the Snan and Puja.

 

NEWS SOURCE:BNS