Teej in Sydney: Eggless Celebration Cakes for the Festival

Teej 2026 falls on Monday, 14 September, with the feast night Dar Khane Din on 13 September and the closing observance of Rishi Panchami on 16 September. It's one of the most significant festivals for Hindu and Nepali women across South Asia — and increasingly, across Sydney too, as the city's Nepali community has grown faster than almost any other migrant group in the country.

If you're organising a Teej gathering, whether it's a Dar Khane Din feast the night before the fast or a family celebration afterwards, Num Num's Bakery makes a genuinely eggless cake to mark the occasion. Every cake we sell — all 15 flavours — is 100% eggless as standard, which matters for the many Hindu and Nepali households where egg-free food carries real dietary and religious significance, not just personal preference.

What Is Teej and When Is It Celebrated in 2026?

Teej 2026 is observed on Monday, 14 September, when married women traditionally undertake a nirjala vrat — a strict fast without food or water — praying for the health and longevity of their husbands, while unmarried women pray for a good future partner. The evening before, known as Dar Khane Din, is a joyful feast where extended family gathers to share a large meal before the fast begins the following morning.

Women dress in red saris, sindoor, and bangles reminiscent of bridal attire, apply mehendi, and often visit temples together. The observance closes with Rishi Panchami on 16 September, marking a period of purification. It's a festival built around community, family gatherings, and — particularly on Dar Khane Din — genuinely festive shared food.

Teej is observed by Hindu and Nepali women across South Asia and its diaspora communities, centred on a strict nirjala fast for married women's marital wellbeing, preceded by the Dar Khane Din feast and closed by Rishi Panchami. In 2026 the main fasting day falls on Monday, 14 September.

Why Do Sydney's Nepali and Hindu Communities Celebrate Teej?

Australia's Nepal-born population grew by 123.7% between the 2016 and 2021 ABS Censuses, rising from just over 24,600 in 2011 to more than 122,500 people in 2021 — making it the third-fastest-growing migrant birthplace group in the country after India and China. A large share of that community has arrived since 2015, and Sydney is home to a significant proportion of it.

For a fast-growing, relatively young community — over two-thirds of Nepal-born Australians are aged 25 to 44 — maintaining festivals like Teej away from home matters. Family gatherings, shared feasts, and cultural continuity all take on extra weight when a community is still establishing itself in a new country, and food is often the easiest way to keep that connection alive.

Is Num Num's Bakery Suitable for a Teej Fast Day?

The main day of Teej is typically observed as a nirjala vrat — a complete fast from food and water — so a celebration cake isn't part of that day itself. Where a cake fits naturally is the Dar Khane Din feast the evening before, when the fast hasn't yet started and families gather for a large shared meal, or the celebration once the fast is broken and normal eating resumes.

According to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), eggs are one of the eight priority food allergens in Australia, and our kitchen doesn't use eggs in any product, preparation area, or piece of equipment. That matters for lacto-vegetarian Hindu households, where eggs are often excluded as a form of non-vegetarianism, and for Jain households, where our full menu is compatible on the egg axis.

We are not a certified kosher or halal kitchen, and we hold no Monash University low FODMAP certification — our claim is limited to being genuinely, entirely egg-free. If you have specific allergen or dietary questions for your Teej celebration, message us on WhatsApp before ordering and we'll walk through the ingredient list for your chosen flavour.

What Cake Flavours Suit a Teej Celebration?

From our internal order data, South Asian festival gatherings most often order Rasmalai, Mango, and Butterscotch — flavours that carry a familiar, celebratory character without being overly rich for a large shared table. Chocolate and Red Velvet round out the most popular choices when the guest list spans multiple generations.

All 15 Flavours — 100% Eggless

• Rasmalai — South Asian-inspired, fragrant, our top pick for festival gatherings.
• Mango — fresh and celebratory, popular for Dar Khane Din feasts.
• Butterscotch — warm, caramel-forward, a crowd-pleaser across generations.
• Chocolate — dense, rich, universally loved. Our most-ordered flavour overall.
• Vanilla — classic, crowd-pleasing, works for every occasion.
• Red Velvet — visually striking with a subtle cocoa note, great for milestone gatherings.
• Black Forest & White Forest — elegant cherry-cream combinations for special occasions.
• Ferrero Rocher — premium, indulgent, ideal for adult celebrations.
• Tiramisu — sophisticated and coffee-forward, a firm favourite for non-traditional guests.
• Strawberry, Blueberry, Pineapple — bright fruit flavours for warm-weather gatherings.
• Lychee — delicate and fragrant, popular among Southeast and South Asian households.
• Cookies & Cream — crowd-pleasing with a fun, party-friendly character.

See the full Our Cakes page for photos of each flavour and size options. Every cake on that page is eggless — there's no separate eggless section because the entire range qualifies.

How Do I Order a Cake for Teej from Num Num's Bakery?

From our experience taking festival orders, planning a few days ahead makes Teej week far less stressful, especially since Dar Khane Din and the main fasting day fall on consecutive dates. It takes less than five minutes to place an order via WhatsApp, and we'll confirm everything in writing before you collect.

1. Browse the flavours: Check the Our Cakes page for the full menu with photos. Shortlist two or three flavours and we'll help you choose on the call.
2. Message us on WhatsApp: Send your order to +61 425 697 725 with your chosen flavour, cake size, and preferred pick-up date — specify whether it's for Dar Khane Din or a later celebration.
3. Give at least 48 hours notice: Every cake is made fresh to order. Around Teej and other major South Asian festivals, we recommend 4–5 days notice given how many families order the same week.
4. Choose your pick-up location: Collect from Harris Park (96/96 Wigram Street) or Riverstone (Shop 8, Riverstone Shopping Centre) — whichever is closer for you.

Not sure what size to order? The Order Online page has a sizing guide. For a Dar Khane Din feast of 20–25 guests, an 8-inch or 10-inch round is typically the right size to share.

Are Eggless Cakes Suitable for Other Hindu and Nepali Festivals in Sydney?

Teej is one of several major festivals in the Hindu and Nepali calendar where Num Num's Bakery makes celebration cakes. Dashain and Tihar — Nepal's two largest festivals, celebrated in October and November — bring similar family-gathering patterns, and Diwali, Raksha Bandhan, and Navratri follow the same principle: an entirely egg-free kitchen means every guest can share the same cake, regardless of individual dietary practice.

We've written more detailed guides for several of these occasions — see our Diwali celebration cake guide, our Raksha Bandhan cake guide, and our Navratri celebration guide for flavour and ordering advice specific to each festival.

Frequently Asked Questions