Kedara Gowri Vratam 2026

Puja Vidhi: Karnataka (Kedara Gowri)

Who Should Do This Vrat?

• Married Couples: The husband and wife keep this vrata together, worshipping Goddess Parvati as Kedara Gowri, with Kedareshwara.
• Couples Seeking Harmony: It is observed for harmony in marriage, and each spouse wears a sacred thread (Dara) at the end of the puja.

When Should This Be Performed?

• Puja Day: The Kedara Gowri Vrata is kept on the Amavasya (new moon day) within the days of Deepavali. Check the puja date and muhurat for your city on this page.
• Tying the Dara: The Dara is tied after the puja is complete.
• Visarjane: The puja is closed with the Visarjane (the ritual send-off of the Kalasha) on the next day.

About the Festival

Kedara Gowri Vrata is a much-loved Karnataka observance in which a married couple worship Goddess Parvati as Kedara Gowri, together with Kedareshwara, for harmony in their marriage. It takes place on the Amavasya (new moon day) of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Ashwin, within the days of Deepavali.

The Vrat Katha (Story of Parvati and Ardhanareeshwara)

Once upon a time, one of the attendants of Lord Shiva, a Pramatha Gana, was making his circumambulation (Pradakshina) of Shiva. He went round Lord Shiva alone and left out Goddess Parvati.

Angry at being left out, Parvati asked Lord Shiva about it. Shiva told her that since she had no powers of her own, she was not included in the circling.

Displeased, Parvati went to the sage Gautama and asked him how she could become a part of Lord Shiva's body. The sage told her to keep this vrata.

Parvati kept the vrata with full devotion, and Lord Shiva granted her the left half of his body. From then on he has been worshipped as Ardhanareeshwara. Since that day, the vrata has been called Kedara Gowri.

Samagri List (Items Needed)

Gather these items before starting the puja:

• Rangoli & Rice: Rangoli for the floor and uncooked rice spread on a plate
• Kalasha: A silver Kalasha, turmeric, Kumkum, Akshate (unbroken rice grains), a coin, water, betel leaves, and a coconut
• Gauri: Turmeric Gauri (Arishinada Gauri), a plate, and flowers to decorate it
• Dara & Vastra: A Kedaragauri Dara of 21 knots for each of the two spouses, and a 21-layered cotton Gejje Vastra
• Offerings in 21s: 21 betel leaves, 21 areca nuts, and five kinds of fruit
• Food Offerings (Naivedya): 21 Kajjaya fried in ghee, Chitranna, Kosambari, and Palya

Puja Vidhi (Step-by-Step Guide)

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

Step 1: Setting Up the Kalasha

1. Draw a rangoli and spread uncooked rice on a plate.
2. Decorate the silver Kalasha with turmeric and Kumkum, and fill it with water, Kumkum, turmeric, Akshate and a coin.
3. Place betel leaves around the inner rim of the Kalasha, and set a coconut smeared with turmeric and Kumkum on its mouth.
4. Set the Kalasha on the rice.

Step 2: Mounting Gauri and Invoking Ganesha

1. Mount the turmeric Gauri (Arishinada Gauri) on a plate decorated with flowers.
2. Begin the puja with the Ganesha Puja.

Step 3: Worshipping Kedara Gowri

1. Recite the Kedara Gowri Ashtottara.
2. Offer the 21-layered Gejje Vastra.
3. Perform the Mangalarati.

Step 4: Offerings and Naivedya

1. Offer everything in the count of 21: 21 betel leaves, 21 areca nuts, and five kinds of fruit.
2. Offer the Naivedya of 21 Kajjaya fried in ghee, with Chitranna, Kosambari and Palya.
3. Serve this Naivedya to the family afterwards as prasadam.

Step 5: Tying the Kedaragauri Dara

1. The couple each receive the Kedaragauri Dara of 21 knots.
2. After the puja, the wife wears her Dara at the neck, tied by her husband.
3. The husband wears his Dara on his right hand, tied by his wife.

Step 6: Visarjane on the Next Day

1. On the next day, recite the Visarjane mantra and lift the Kalasha.
2. Prepare a sweet from the coconut that was used for the Kalasha.

Puja Vidhi: Tamil Nadu (Kedara Gowri Nombu)

Who Should Do This Vrat?

• Married Women: Married women keep the Kedara Gowri Nombu to pray for the long life of their husbands.
• Unmarried Women: Young women keep it to pray for a good husband.
• Men: Men may also keep the nombu, and they wear the sacred thread on the right arm.

When Should This Be Performed?

• Fast: A full fast is kept through the day, until the puja.
• Puja Muhurat: The puja is done in the evening during Pradosh Kaal (the period after sunset). Check the puja muhurat for your city on this page.
• Tying the Nombu Kayiru: The sacred thread is tied after the Pradosh Kaal has passed.
• Length of the Nombu: Some families keep the nombu for 21 days, ending on this day, and many keep it for nine, seven, five or three days, or for this one day alone.

About the Festival

Kedara Gowri Nombu is a much-loved Tamil observance in which families worship Lord Shiva as Kedareeswarar together with Goddess Gowri (Parvati) and tie a sacred thread of 21 knots (Nombu Kayiru). It takes place on the Amavasya (new moon day) of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Aippasi.

The Vrat Katha (Story of Parvati and the Kedareeswarar Nombu)

On Mount Kailasa, the gods and sages came every day to circle Shiva and Parvati together and bow to them. Only the sage Bhringi, taking the form of a bee, would circle Shiva alone. Shiva explained that Bhringi wished only for liberation (Moksha) and not for worldly blessings. Parvati then told Bhringi that the flesh and blood of his body were hers and asked him to give them back. He did so and could no longer stand, and Shiva gave him a staff to lean on.

Hurt, Parvati left Kailasa and sat under a tree in a garden on earth that had seen no rain for twelve years. The moment she arrived, it rained and the whole garden bloomed. The sage Gautama, who lived there, came to her, worshipped her and asked why she had come. She asked him for a vow (Vrata) by which she could be one with Shiva again.

Gautama taught her the Kedareeswarar nombu. For 21 days she was to bathe each day, set up a Shiva Linga under a banyan tree, perform its Abhishekam, offer Vibhuti, sandal, flowers and food, eat only the prasad, and wear the Nombu Kayiru on her hand. Parvati kept the vow with full devotion. On the twenty-first day Shiva appeared with his ganas and gave her the left half of his body, and he returned to Kailasa as Ardhanareeswarar (the form that is half Shiva and half Parvati).

The celestial maidens (Devakanyas) kept the same nombu on the bank of the Ganga, and two poor princesses, Punyavati and Bhagyavati, received the sacred thread from them. Their hut became a palace and their kingdom was restored. Later Bhagyavati threw her kayiru on an avarai (bean) creeper, lost everything, and her family lived on the beans the creeper bore. Her son went to his aunt Punyavati for help, but the help she gave him was taken on the way home, first by a kite and then by a thief. Learning that the nombu had been abandoned, Punyavati kept the boy with her until the Aippasi nombu, set aside a share of the nombu for Bhagyavati, and sent the kayiru home with him. On the way the thief and the kite returned what they had taken, and from that day Bhagyavati kept the nombu.

Samagri List (Items Needed)

Gather these items before starting the evening puja:

• Kalasam & Kayiru: A Kalasam (sacred pot), a coconut, a Nombu Kayiru of 21 strands and 21 knots, and, if possible, gold jewellery and a silk cloth for the Kalasam
• For Pillaiyar: Turmeric to shape the figure, Arugampul (Durva grass), flowers, turmeric and Kumkum
• For Kedareeswarar: The Ammi (grinding stone) and Kuzhavi (roller), Vilvam (Bilva) and Thumbai flowers
• Tilak & Lamp: Sandal, Kumkum, Akshata (unbroken rice grains), flowers, a lamp, and Dhoop (incense)
• Food Offerings (Naivedya): 21 Adhirasam, 21 bananas, 21 pieces of turmeric, 21 betel leaves, 21 areca nuts, a coconut, and, as many families also prepare, Appam, Sakkarai Pongal and Puliyodarai
• For Visitors and the Meal: Turmeric, Kumkum and Thambulam (the betel gift given to guests), and vegetables of 21 kinds

Puja Vidhi (Step-by-Step Guide)

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

Step 1: Bathing and the Fast

1. Bathe and prepare for the puja.
2. Keep a full fast through the day, until the puja is done.
3. Chant "Om Namah Shivaya" through the day.

Step 2: Preparing the Kalasam

1. Prepare the Kalasam with a coconut.
2. Wrap the Kalasam with the Nombu Kayiru of 21 strands and 21 knots, and worship it as Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
3. If possible, put gold jewellery on it and wrap it in a silk cloth, then decorate it with flowers, sandal and Kumkum.
4. Light the lamp.

Step 3: Worshipping Pillaiyar

1. Shape Pillaiyar (Lord Ganesha) from turmeric.
2. Offer Arugampul, flowers, turmeric and Kumkum.
3. Worship him with his sixteen names, and offer Dhoop, a lamp and Naivedya.

Step 4: Worshipping Kedareeswarar in the Ammi and Kuzhavi

1. Clean the Ammi and Kuzhavi well and decorate them.
2. Invoke Lord Kedareeswarar in them.
3. Worship with Vilvam and Thumbai flowers, calling on the names of Lord Shiva.

Step 5: Offering the Naivedya

1. Offer the 21 Adhirasam, 21 bananas, 21 pieces of turmeric, 21 betel leaves, 21 areca nuts and the coconut, with sandal and flowers.
2. Perform the lamp worship (Deepa Aradhana) with Dhoop and a lamp, and offer Akshata.
3. Bow before the Kalasam and the Ammi and Kuzhavi.

Step 6: Tying the Nombu Kayiru (After Pradosh)

1. An elder of the house ties the Nombu Kayiru on each person: men on the right arm and women on the left arm.
2. Bow to the elders to seek their blessings.

Step 7: Sharing and Closing the Day

1. Give turmeric, Kumkum and Thambulam to all who come to your home.
2. Cook a meal from 21 kinds of vegetables, and share it with your neighbours and relatives.
3. Break your fast after the puja with the prasad, of which Adhirasam is the chief, and the meal.
4. On the next day, put the previous Nombu Kayiru into water.

Puja Vidhi: Andhra and Telangana (Kedareswara)

Who Should Do This Vrat?

• Women: Women keep this vow (Nomu) mostly on the Amavasya of Deepavali, with a fast, praying to Lord Kedareswara and Goddess Gauri. The katha promises that whoever keeps the vrata or hears its story lives free of trouble and reaches Shiva.
• Families: Some families keep it as a family Nomu, observed every year once it has been begun.
• Married Women: Married women (Muttaiduvulu) are honoured on this day as the ones who receive the gift of Vayanam.

When Should This Be Performed?

• Fast: Kept through the day, until the puja and the katha are done.
• Puja Muhurat: The Kedareswara puja is done on the Amavasya, in the evening (Pradosh Kaal, the period after sunset). Check the puja muhurat for your city on this page.
• Breaking the Fast: After the katha, the Thoram and the Nomu garlands, when the Tirtha and Prasadam are taken.
• Vayanam: The gift to married women is given once the fast is broken.

About the Festival

Kedareswara Vratam is a much-loved Telugu observance in which women worship Lord Shiva as Kedareswara, with Goddess Gauri, and tie a sacred thread of twenty-one knots. It takes place on the Amavasya (new moon day) of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Ashvayuja, the Amavasya of Deepavali. The vow taught in the katha begins in Ashvayuja and runs to this Amavasya, though most women keep only this one day.

The Vrat Katha (Story of Kedareswara Vratam)

Suta told this story to Shaunaka and the other sages. On Mount Kailasa, Lord Shiva sat with Goddess Parvati in full court while Narada and Tumburu sang. The devotee Bhringi (Bhringiriti) danced in joy, and Shiva rose, leaving Parvati's side, to bless him. Bhringi and the other attendants then circled and bowed to Shiva alone. Parvati asked why, and Shiva answered that yogis who seek the highest gain nothing from her and so pass her by. Hurt, she resolved to earn an equal place by tapas, left Kailasa, and came to the ashram of the sage Gautama, where she asked the sages for a vrata by which she could become half of Shiva.

Gautama taught her the Kedareswara Vrata and advised: "Begin on the Shukla Ashtami of Ashvayuja, bathe, tie a Thoram of twenty-one threads, and worship Shiva with the sixteen services. Fast that day and feed Brahmins the next, and continue until the Amavasya. Set a full Kumbha on a heap of grain, wind thread round it twenty-one times, cover it with silk, place gems or gold on it, and invite twenty-one Brahmins, wash their feet and feed them." Parvati kept the vrata with full devotion, and Shiva gave her half of his body. The gandharva Chitrangada later learned it from Nandikeshvara and taught it to King Vajradanta of Ujjain, who became an emperor.

In Ujjain lived a poor Vaishya with two daughters, Punyavati and Bhagyavati. With their father's leave, the sisters tied the Thoram under a banyan tree and kept the vrata, and Shiva gave them all they needed, with wealth and beauty. Punyavati married the king of Ujjain and Bhagyavati the Chola king. Proud of her wealth, Bhagyavati forgot the vrata, and her husband drove her and her son out. She took shelter in a hunter's house. Her son went to his aunt for help, but twice on the road Shiva himself, in the form of a thief, took the money he carried. Then a voice told him: "The money will never stay with you while your mother has abandoned the Kedara vrata."

Punyavati had her nephew keep the vrata and sent him home. Bhagyavati took it up again with devotion, her husband came to fetch them, and she kept it every year after. Since that day, women have kept the Kedareswara Vratam on the Amavasya of Deepavali.

Samagri List (Items Needed)

Gather these items before starting the evening puja:

• Altar & Kumbha: A Peetham, grain for the heap, a Purnakumbha (a full pot), twenty-one threads, mango leaves for the torans, a Palavelli, and flowers
• The Deities: Turmeric Gauri and turmeric Ganapati
• Tilak & Lamps: Turmeric, Kumkum, sandal, Akshata, camphor, Vattipatti (cotton wick garlands), Dhupa (incense), and a Deepam (lamp)
• The Twenty-One: Twenty-one betel leaves, twenty-one black areca nuts, and twenty-one dates
• Nomu & Vayanam: The Nomu Dandalu (garlands worn at the neck), the Kankanam (the wrist Thoram), a blouse piece, two coconuts, two dry coconut halves, and fruit, betel and areca for the Vayanam
• Food Offerings (Naivedya): Twenty-one Ariselu made of wheat flour, milk, Dahi (curd), Ghee, Payasam, and twenty-one kinds of fruit and vegetables

Puja Vidhi (Step-by-Step Guide)

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

Step 1: Bath and Fast

1. Bathe before you begin.
2. Keep the fast through the day, until the puja and the katha are done.

Step 2: Preparing the Altar

1. Pour a heap of grain on the Peetham and set the Purnakumbha on it.
2. Wind the twenty-one threads round the Kumbha and place sandal, flowers and Akshata on it.
3. Hang mango-leaf torans above the Peetham, with a Palavelli decorated with flowers.
4. Prepare the turmeric Gauri and the turmeric Ganapati.

Step 3: Worship of Kedareswara

1. Begin with the prayer to Ganapati.
2. Perform Achamana (the ritual sipping of water) and take the Sankalpa (solemn vow).
3. Worship Kedareswara, with Gauri, with the sixteen services (Shodashopachara): Dhyana, Avahana, Asana, Arghya, Padya, Achamaniya, Panchamrita Snana, Snana, Vastra, Yajnopavita, Gandha, Akshata and flowers.
4. Then perform the Anga Puja and the worship with the hundred and eight names (Ashtottara).

Step 4: Worship of the Twenty-One Knots

1. Worship each of the twenty-one knots of the thread with a name of Shiva (Sutra Granthi Puja).
2. For the first knot say: "Om Shivaya Namah, I worship the first knot."
3. Go on knot by knot, and for the twenty-first say: "Om Mrityunjayaya Namah, I worship the twenty-first knot."

Step 5: Katha, Blessings and the Nomu Garlands

1. Hear the Kedareswara Vrata Katha with full attention.
2. Take the blessings of the Brahmins and the elders.
3. Take the Thoram and tie it.
4. Women put on the Nomu Dandalu round the neck, as forms of the Goddess.

Step 6: Prasadam and Vayanam

1. Take the Tirtha and the Prasadam, and break the fast.
2. Give the Vayanam to married women (Muttaiduvulu): turmeric, Kumkum, fruit, betel and areca.