Hartalika Teej is kept mainly in north India and Nepal. The name joins harit, meaning carried away, and alika, a woman friend, from the story of Parvati’s friend who took her to the forest. Women, married and unmarried, fast, dress in green or red, and worship Shiva and Parvati as the ideal couple. It is one of three Teej festivals; the others are Hariyali Teej and Kajari Teej.
Timing
The day is the third tithi of the bright half of Bhadrapada, and it falls just before Ganesh Chaturthi in most years. The puja is done in the morning or in the evening, and the almanac names a window. Hartalika Teej does not yet have its own date table on our festival pages, so please check a panchang for your city, or ask your priest. You can see the Ganesh Chaturthi page for the day after, and use the festivals hub or the any-city tool for the calendar of related days. We do not give a date here.
Samagri: what to gather
| Item | Use |
|---|---|
| Wet clay or sand | To shape small idols of Shiva, Parvati and Ganesha, or a Shivalinga |
| A wooden stool, red or yellow cloth | The altar |
| Bel leaves, dhatura, white and yellow flowers | Offered to Shiva |
| Sixteen shringar items (bangles, bindi, vermilion, mehendi, henna, comb) | Offered to Parvati and later used or given |
| A new cloth or sari for the Goddess | Offered |
| Fruit, sweets, coconut | Naivedya |
| Kalash, incense, a lamp, camphor | Worship |
| Many leaves of wild plants, in some regions (known as patri) | Offered during the puja |
Steps in order
- Bathe before dawn and take the vow. Many keep the fast without food or water, others with water or fruit.
- In the evening or early morning, shape the idols from clay or sand and place them on the stool.
- Light the lamp and begin with a prayer to Ganesha.
- Worship Shiva with bel leaves and flowers, and Parvati with the shringar items.
- Listen to or read the katha, and offer the sweets and fruit.
- Do the aarti, and stay awake through the night with songs and stories if you can.
- The next morning, offer a last prayer, immerse the clay idols in a river or pot of water, and break the fast.
The katha
As the tradition tells it, Parvati had resolved to marry Shiva and spent years in austerities in the Himalaya. Her father, Himavan, however, had agreed with the sage Narada that she would be married to Vishnu. Hearing this, Parvati was distressed. Her friend, understanding her heart, took her away into a forest, so that her father could not give her away. That is the origin of the name.
In the forest Parvati made a Shivalinga of sand on a riverbank, in some tellings on the bright third of Bhadrapada under the Hasta nakshatra, and worshipped it through the night in a strict fast. Shiva was pleased and appeared to her, and he accepted her. Himavan, finding her, agreed to the match. The story is told as a model of resolve and friendship.
Regional variations
Customs differ by region and family; follow your family’s custom. In Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh the day is known by other Teej names and swings are hung. In Nepal women gather in red to sing and dance at temples. In Karnataka a related festival on the same day is Gowri Habba.
Fasting and health
The traditional fast is strict, often without water. That is a heavy fast and not suitable for everyone. Anyone who is pregnant, nursing, diabetic, has low blood pressure, or takes regular medicine should talk to a doctor before keeping it, and a fast with water, milk or fruit is accepted by many families. Do not push yourself, and eat when you feel unwell.
Frequently asked questions
↳ Why is Teej celebrated in the rainy season?
The three Teej festivals fall during the monsoon months, when the land turns green. Songs, swings and green clothes mark the season as well as the story of Shiva and Parvati.
↳ Can unmarried women keep the fast?
Yes. In many families, unmarried women keep it with a prayer for a good partner, as Parvati did in the story, and married women pray for their marriage.
↳ What is the difference between Hartalika and Hariyali Teej?
Hariyali Teej comes in Shravana and welcomes the monsoon. Hartalika Teej is in Bhadrapada and is stricter, with the sand idols and the night vigil.
↳ Where do I find the date for my city?
Use a local panchang or ask your temple, as the day depends on the tithi at sunrise. It usually falls shortly before Ganesh Chaturthi.