What a Teej that was

This past weekend was Teej, the Nepali women's festival, where many Hindu women wear all red and party like its 1999.
We went here...

and hung out for a while watching people dance and sing... and drum on the double ended drum depicted below, a traditional Nepali instrument called a maddar, or maddat...or something like that.

Then we went back home, and danced for a while, and the next day a priest came over and presided over a large, intense ceremony in the dining room/kitchen.

The ceremony involved a lot of red dye powder, fruits and vegetables and rice, candles, incense, bowls made out of dried leaves, reddish water, milk and fried "roti" bread. It lasted most of 3 hours, and there was much singing and praying in Nepali, which I didn't understand. But it was fun to watch, and no problem with picture taking :)
Before seeing it, I thought this would be a solemn affair, but there was tons of talking and laughing throughout. It was really more like a large social event with a religious aspect as well. People would occasionally bust out their cell phones, or burst out laughing when they didn't really know what to do (in the ceremony). Everyone was very chatty the whole time. A jovial atmosphere to be sure.

The remaining edible food (much rice, bananas, apples and other such things) went to the priest. I do not know if that was religiously motivated, or simply as payment for his priestly services. The inedible food was cleared away quickly and efficiently.

Teej Siddhiyo! (teej is over!)