Teeyan da mela refers to a women’s dance festival in the Punjab region, in which young women would traditionally gather during the summer to dance and socialize. The tradition has become hugely popular in North America. Each summer there are dozens of women’s dance festivals in Yuba City, the Sacramento area, and in many other cities in the US and Canada. Each festival attracts 1,000s of women who spend hours enjoying the activites. The Teeyan da Mela events are organized by and for Punjabi women, and men are not allowed to attend. At the festival, women perform various folk dances (such as the Giddha), shop and enjoy themselves. Some of the large-scale women’s dance festivals were started in the 1990s in northern California.
Enjoy the video of Punjabi American women’s folk dances, Natomas, CA, July 17, 2016.
Enjoy the video of Punjabi American women’s folk dances, Natomas, CA, July 17, 2016. Courtesy of Mrs Manjeet Sibia and the Festival Managing Committee Members.
SOURCES:
“Punjabi Women Celebrate Traditions of Tian da Mela,” Appeal Democrat, August 31, 2003, http://www.appeal-democrat.com/punjabi-women-celebrate-traditions-of-tian-de-mela/article_c3b9e2f3-7a2f-5cc2-9f20-2807bb65b18a.html