Pradosh Vrat Vidhi: Evening Shiva Puja, Samagri and Katha

Pradosh is the period of twilight beginning shortly before sunset and lasting roughly an hour and a half after it. In the tradition, when Trayodashi covers this period, it is a favourable time for Shiva worship. The vrat is therefore kept twice a month. When it falls on a Monday it is called Som Pradosh, on a Tuesday Bhauma Pradosh, and on a Saturday Shani Pradosh, and each has its own emphasis.

Timing

The vrat is decided by the thirteenth tithi at Pradosh, which is local to each city, so the date and the puja window can differ from place to place. The Pradosh Vrat page lists the dates and the evening windows for five cities and links to all 49 city pages, among them New Delhi, London and Singapore. The any-city tool works out any other place. We do not state dates on this page.

Samagri: what to gather

Steps in order

1. Bathe in the morning, take the sankalp, and keep the fast through the day, with fruit and water if needed.
2. In the evening, bathe again and prepare the altar a little before sunset.
3. At twilight, light the lamp and invoke Ganesha, then Shiva.
4. Bathe the Linga with water, milk, curd, honey and ghee in turn, ending with clean water.
5. Offer bel leaves, flowers, vibhuti and incense, chanting Om Namah Shivaya as many times as you wish.
6. Listen to or read the Pradosh katha.
7. Sing the Shiv aarti with the lamp. Offer fruit and share the prasad.
8. Break the fast after the puja with a simple meal. Some families do this the next morning.

The katha

The story from the Skanda Purana tradition begins with a poor Brahmin widow who lived in a town and begged, with her young son, for their living. One day, the boy found a wounded youth by the road. He was Dharmagupta, the prince of Vidarbha, whose kingdom had been taken by enemies and whose father had been killed. The widow took him in and raised him with her own son.

A sage named Shandilya taught her the Pradosh vrat, and she and the two boys kept it faithfully. Years later, Dharmagupta met a Gandharva maiden, Anshumati, whose father, pleased with the young man, helped him regain his kingdom with the Gandharva army. He became king, and the Brahmin widow’s son became his minister. The story tells that the family flourished, and the practice of the vrat continued. Its teaching is patience and steady faith through hardship, and it is told as tradition, not as a promise of results.

Regional variations

Customs differ by region and family; follow your family’s custom. In south India Pradosham is especially marked at Shiva temples, with Nandi worshipped first and the abhishek done to Nandi and then to the Linga. In the north, many families keep the day at home.

Fasting and food

Some devotees keep a fast with fruit and water, some no grain, and some do not eat until after the puja. If you are pregnant, diabetic, elderly or on medication, please ask your doctor before fasting, and eat on time if advised. Worship can be done fully without a fast.

Frequently asked questions