Hartalika Teej 2027हरतालिका तीज

When is Hartalika Teej?

Observed on Shukla Tritiya, Bhadrapada month. Dates follow the Panchang for New Delhi and can differ by a day in other places — check the Panchang for your city.

What Hartalika Teej means

Hartalika Teej falls on the third day of the bright half of Bhadrapada, the day before Ganesh Chaturthi. It is the strictest of the Teej fasts: married women keep a nirjala fast — without food or water — from sunrise until the next morning, praying for their husbands' long life and an unbroken married life; unmarried girls keep it for a husband like Shiva.

The name explains the story: "harat" (taking away) and "aalika" (a woman friend). Parvati's friends carried her off to the forest so that she could escape a marriage arranged with Vishnu and worship Shiva, the husband of her heart. Her devotion won him.

Women make images of Shiva, Parvati and Ganesha from clay or sand — the "Hartalika" — decorate a small mandap, worship through the evening, hear the vrat katha and stay awake through the night singing. The next morning, after puja, the images are immersed and the fast is broken.

The story of Hartalika Teej

The vrat katha, told by Shiva to Parvati, recalls her own story: as a girl she performed severe penance in the Himalaya to win Shiva, living on leaves and air. Her father Himavan, persuaded by Narada, promised her hand to Vishnu. Grieving, Parvati told her friends, who led her secretly into a dense forest.

There, on Bhadrapada Shukla Tritiya, she made a linga of sand and worshipped Shiva through the night, without food or water. Shiva appeared and granted her wish; her father, learning the truth, gave her in marriage to Shiva. Shiva promised that any woman who kept this vrat with devotion would be blessed with a happy married life.

Hartalika Teej puja vidhi, step by step

How Hartalika Teej is usually kept. Rules of the fast are strict in many families; women who are pregnant, nursing, elderly or unwell should keep a lighter fast with water and fruit.

What you need

• Clean clay or river sand to shape Shiva, Parvati and Ganesha (or ready clay images)
• A small mandap decorated with banana leaves and flowers
• Bel leaves, dhatura, shami leaves, flowers, sandal, akshat
• Shringar items for Parvati — red chunari, bangles, sindoor, mehndi
• A ghee diya, incense, fruits and sweets
• The Hartalika vrat katha book

When to do the puja

In 2027 Hartalika Teej falls on Friday, 3 September, the day before Ganesh Chaturthi. Puja is done in the pradosh (evening) period; the fast is broken the next morning. Check the Panchang for your city. See the Panchang for your city.

Steps

1. Sankalp. Bathe early and take a sankalp for the nirjala vrat.
2. Make the Hartalika. Shape images of Shiva, Parvati and Ganesha from clay or sand and set them in a decorated mandap.
3. Evening puja. In the evening, worship them with bel leaves, dhatura and flowers; offer the sixteen adornments to Parvati.
4. Katha. Hear or read the Hartalika vrat katha with other women.
5. Jagaran. Stay awake through the night singing bhajans and Teej songs, doing puja in each prahar if your family does.
6. Morning. After a final puja and aarti, immerse the images in water and break the fast with prasad.

Offerings & food: Bel leaves, dhatura, flowers, fruits, shringar items for Parvati, thekua and gujiya in Bihar

Mantras for Hartalika Teej

Hartalika Teej across India

Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra; Gowri Habba in Karnataka; Teej in Nepal

Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh

Teej is one of the most important women's vrats; thekua and gujiya are prepared and women gather for the katha and night-long singing.

Maharashtra

Hartalika is kept the day before Ganeshotsav; young girls and married women worship clay images of Parvati and her friend.

Karnataka

Gowri Habba, the worship of Swarna Gowri, falls the same day; married women receive bagina (gift trays) the day before Ganesha arrives.

Nepal

Teej is a national festival: women in red dance and sing, fast, and visit Pashupatinath.

Prayers to recite

Do’s and don’ts

Frequently asked questions