Teeyan is the Punjabi name of the festival of Teej, which is celebrated in Punjab and other parts of India and is dedicated to the onset of the monsoon and focuses on daughters and sisters.
Married women go to their maternal house to participate in the festivities. In Brisbane, the annual ‘Teeyan North Diyan’ on September 21 was celebrated, with hundreds of women dressed in colourful Indian attire, creating an exceptional experience of this traditional festival at Aspley State School, Aspley.
Teeyan is a ‘ladies only’ function, and females from all fields and ages come together for this celebration, showcasing their hidden talent without any hesitation. The ladies are dressed to their best and are seen dancing, singing, making jokes, taking selfies, and rejoicing being a woman.
Teeyan North Diyan has been a tradition in Brisbane for the past 9 years. The Malwa Club took the initiative to organise the festival for the first 6 years, which was then carried forward by Preet Siyaan (Australia-based Punjabi folk/pop singer).
Amarjot Goraya has been the host and the part of the organising committee of this event over the past nine years. However, this is the first time Shruti Dhar Padda co-hosted the event with Jyoti-Amarjot and did a good job of entertaining the ladies. This year’s show included the performance from the renowned Punjabi artist/singer Babbal Rai.
At this year’s event when one entered the hall at the Teeyan event, a swing (jhoola) with beautiful flowers welcomed them. The decorations were elegantly done and made use of traditional phulkari duppatta and charkha. Women were having a wonderful time sitting on the jhoola, taking photos, while others indulged themselves in buying jewellery from the stall. Some found their interest in a variety of food stalls.
The various performances and activities for all age groups had the audience participating and winning various prizes.
MP Bart Mellish, Councillor Tracy Davis, Councillor Fiona Hammod, Councillor Amanda Cooper were some of the dignitaries who attended the celebration, and they seemed equally at ease enjoying the event.
Highlight of the event was the dynamic live performance by Babbal Rai, to which ladies went crazy. Other performances included Bollywood dancing, bhangra, UK style bhangra, and gidha, followed by DJ who pelted a mix of Punjabi songs. Dance-masti kept the ladies on their feet, with them performing gidha and bhangra to their favorite tunes.
All in all, it was a fantastic Saturday night on September 21 with remarkable effort from the organising team of Preet Siyaan, Jessica Saranah and Jyoti Amarjot Goraya and Shruti Dhar Padda.