The story of Abdu and Gabdu brothers witnessing the goddess through the wheat sprouts, a popular belief among Lambada tribes in the Telugu regions, is an oral history for ages now. Teej, a celebration of fertility, is observed by maidens in Lambada hamlets, just at the beginning of the monsoons, or with the advent of the Shravana month. The young maidens buy baskets made from date twigs and fill them with fertile soil, in which the unmarried men sow the wheat seeds. Dressed in their traditional red skirts, Pheita with mirror pieces embroidered on it, young women decorate themselves with ornaments from head to toe and make the hamlets come alive with celebratory fervour. An important festival of the Lambadas, the festivities which started on Friday, will conclude on August 13.

Source: The Hindu August 07, 2017 15:40 UTC