Jamshedpur, Sept. 6: Like any other tradition, the festival of Teej is getting redefined, especially among the new generation of married women in the steel city.

This festival is widely popular in northern states of India. Once, Teej used to be a very lavish affair, however, with the changing lifestyle, nowadays most women prefer to take a shortcut and evade the elaborate rituals of the pujas.

?I prefer a small puja at home, as my routine does not permit me to get into the details of a traditional puja,? said Ashu Tiwri, principal of the Motilal Nehru Public School. And it?s not only the rituals but also the preparation before Teej that has undergone a sea change. ?Previously the process used to very cumbersome, but with time people have made adjustments to suit their priorities,? said Kanchan Singh, senior AIWC member.

Mehendi, the traditional adornment for a woman during Teej, is also changing.

etting redefined with time. Gone are the days of age-old designs, today?s bahus go for the popular Arabic, zardosi or tattoo designs. According to the mehendi artists working at the city parlours it?s only the older generation who still go for the traditional designs.

Parlour authorities, however, confirm that the enthusiasm to dress up for the occasion remains the same. ?Only yesterday we received a huge crowd of newly married women who had come to do the mehendi at the parlour,? added Sarkar who owns Deeptiz.

The cultural erosion however is less among the Nepali population here in the city. For them it is the time for the annual Teej function organised by the Nepali Seva Samiti in Golmuri.

?Since we are a small community, people come here from far off places to celebrate the day in a typical traditional style,? said Gopal Dangal, the secretary of the committee.