Hartalika Teej 2027

Puja Vidhi

Who Should Do This Vrat?

• Married Women: Married women observe this strict fast for the long life and good health of their husbands and a happy married life (Akhand Saubhagya).
• Unmarried Girls: Unmarried girls pray to Goddess Parvati to be blessed with a good and loving husband.

When Should This Be Performed?

• Morning Preparation: Bathe early in the morning, during Brahma Muhurta (the pre-dawn hour before sunrise), and take the vow of the fast.
• Puja Muhurat: The Hartalika Teej puja is done in the morning (Pratah Kaal), or in the evening during Pradosh Kaal (the period after sunset); families differ. Check the puja muhurat for your city on this page.
• Night Vigil (Jagran): Women stay awake through the night, singing devotional songs in praise of Shiva and Parvati.
• Breaking the Fast: The next morning, after the final puja.

About the Festival

Hartalika Teej is a deeply revered observance across North, East, and Central India, and is known as Gowri Habba in Karnataka and the South, where women worship Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva. It takes place on the Tritiya (third day) of the Shukla Paksha in the month of Bhadrapada.

The Vrat Katha (Story of Hartalika)

Once upon a time, Goddess Parvati, the daughter of King Himavan, wished from her childhood to marry Lord Shiva, and she took up a severe penance in the Himalayas. Her father, unaware of her wish, decided on the advice of the sage Narada to give her hand in marriage to Lord Vishnu.

Parvati was heartbroken and shared her sorrow with her friend. Her friend took her away from the palace into a dense forest, so that her father would not marry her to anyone else. The word Harat means "to carry away" and Aalika means "a female friend", and from this the festival gets the name Hartalika. In the forest, Parvati made a Shivalinga of sand and worshipped it, fasting without food or water through the day and keeping awake through the night.

The Lord, pleased by her devotion, appeared before her and said: "Your penance has pleased me. I accept you as my wife." Parvati then broke her fast, and her father, hearing of this, accepted the union and the two were married.

Pleased by her sincere devotion, Lord Shiva blessed all who keep this fast with happiness and long married life. Since that day, women have observed Hartalika Teej to seek the blessings of Shiva and Parvati for their marriages.

Samagri List (Items Needed)

Gather these items before starting the puja:

• Idols / Image: Idols of Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati, and Lord Ganesha made of sand or clay, or a framed picture
• Tilak & Sacred Powder: Roli, Kumkum, Akshat (unbroken rice grains), and Sandalwood paste
• Lamps & Lights: A clay Diya with Ghee and cotton wick, and incense
• Sacred Water Container: A Kalash or small vessel filled with fresh water
• Food Offerings (Naivedya): Fruits, sweets such as Kheer or Halwa, and a coconut
• Suhag Items (Shringar): Sindoor, Bangles, Bindi, Mehendi, a new red or green saree or dupatta, and Belpatra (Bilva leaves), flowers, and Kalava (sacred red thread)

Puja Vidhi (Step-by-Step Guide)

Follow these step-by-step instructions carefully to perform the ritual correctly:

Step 1: Morning Preparation and Sankalp

1. Wake up early during Brahma Muhurta, bathe, and wear clean, auspicious clothes (preferably red or green).
2. Take a small amount of water in your right palm and take a Sankalp (solemn vow): "O Divine Mother Parvati and Lord Shiva, today I observe this fast for the long life and wellbeing of my husband and family. Grant me the strength to fulfil this vow with pure devotion."
3. Observe the fast throughout the day. Traditional practice is a nirjala fast (without food or water) until the puja is completed the next morning.

Step 2: Preparing the Puja Altar

1. Clean the northeastern corner (Ishan Kone) or the eastern wall of your room.
2. Make the idols of Shiva, Parvati, and Ganesha from clean sand or clay and place them on a wooden stool (Chowki) covered with a clean cloth.
3. Decorate the altar with banana leaves, flowers, and a Kalash filled with water.

Step 3: Performing the Rituals

1. Lighting the Lamp: Light a Ghee Diya and incense before the idols.
2. Applying Tilak: Apply Roli, Kumkum, Akshat, and Sandalwood paste to the idols and the Kalash.
3. Offering Flowers & Leaves: Offer fresh flowers and Belpatra to Lord Shiva and offer the Suhag items to Goddess Parvati.
4. Offering Naivedya: Place fruits and sweets before the deities.

Step 4: Reciting the Vrat Katha

1. Hold a few grains of rice and a few flower petals in your right hand.
2. Sit respectfully in front of the altar and recite or listen to the Hartalika Teej Vrat Katha with deep focus and devotion.
3. After completing the story, offer the grains at the deities' feet and at the base of the Kalash.

Step 5: Aarti and Night Vigil

1. Perform the Shiva-Parvati Aarti using the lit Ghee lamp while singing devotional hymns.
2. Stay awake through the night with bhajans and prayers, and repeat the puja at each prahar if your family follows this custom.
3. In Karnataka and the South, families worship Gowri (Swarna Gowri Vrata) and offer a gift of Bagina to married women.

Step 6: Seeking Blessings and Breaking the Fast

1. In the morning, offer the final puja, and immerse the clay idols in a river or pond, or in a pot of water at home, with respect.
2. Touch the feet of the elders in your family to seek their blessings (Charan Sparsh), especially your mother-in-law, with a gift of clothes or sweets.
3. Distribute the sweet prasad among your family members, and break your fast by partaking in the prasad and a simple sattvic meal.