Hartalika Teej Puja 2023: Date, Time, Vrat, and Puja

Hartalika Teej is celebrated on the Tritiya or 3rd day of the Shukla Paksha. This festival is mainly celebrated by married women in honour of Goddess Parvati. The word Hartalika is made by joining the words ‘harat’ meaning abduction, and ‘Aalika’ means one who is a good female friend. According to Hindu mythology, on this day, Goddess Parvati’s incarnation was abducted by her friends to stop her marriage to Lord Vishnu, and ultimately she was married to Lord Shiva.

Hartalika Teej is celebrated by women seeking long life and prosperity for their husbands. Unmarried women perform this Puja to seek a husband, just like Lord Shiva. On this day, makeshift statues of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati are made with sand and worshipped for marital bliss and progeny.

Hartalika Teej 2023 – Date and Time

Hartalike Teej will be celebrated on 18th September 2023 between 06:06 AM to 08:43 AM.

Hartalika Teej Festival in 2024 to 2026

Rules for Hartalika Teej Vrat

1. Married women keep this fast for their husbands’ long lives, and unmarried girls also observe this fast in some places to find the right man. It is believed that if the fast is kept once by a married woman, she must keep it yearly. Women doing fast need to doll up in new and clean Indian clothes. The Day of Vrat requires married women to maintain celibacy on that day.

2. Women can not eat or even drink water for 24 hours. As soon as the muhurat ends the following morning, after offering vermilion to Goddess Parvati, they eat. 

3. Women perform aarti of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati during the muhurat time of puja to pray for their husbands’ long lives. They also recite Shiva Mantras, listen to Shiv Parvati Bhajans, and read the Shiva Purana. Some of the mantras to chant are:

Shanti Mantra
ॐ द्यौः शान्तिरन्तरिक्षं शान्तिः पृथिवी शान्तिरापः शान्तिरोषधयः शान्तिः। वनस्पतयः शान्तिर्विश्वेदेवाः शान्तिर्ब्रह्म शान्तिः सर्वं शान्तिः शान्तिरेव शान्तिः सा मा शान्तिरेधि॥ ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥

Shama Mantra
जगन्मातर्मातस्तव चरणसेवा न रचिता न वा दत्तं देवि द्रविणमपि भूयस्तव मया। तथापि त्वं स्नेहं मयि निरुपमं यत्प्रकुरुषे कुपुत्रो जायेत क्व चिदपि कुमाता न भवति॥

4. Deities are offered homemade sweets and treats during this puja. The list includes halwa, poori, thekwa, gujiya, kheer, coconut laddoo, and fresh fruits. Fresh fruits are served alongside halwa, thekwa, poori, gujiya, coconut laddoo, and kheer.

5. A woman fasts and touches her husband’s feet to seek blessings after completing the evening puja.

6. The puja ritual includes offering Lord Shiva all his favourite items, such as Bel Patra, cow milk, leaves, and Dhature Ke Phool, during the puja muhurat.

Hartalika Teej Puja Vidhi

• The women should bathe once again before the puja and wear a new traditional dress, a saree, ghagra choli, or suit.
• For Hartalika puja at home, first, use Gangajal to clean the puja chowki and then make three idols with natural clay or sand, one of each Mata Parvati, Lord Shiva, and Lord Ganesha.
• Cover the chowki with a new red or white piece of cloth. Keep the idols on a plate and place them on the chowki carefully.
• Then, put two fistfuls of uncooked rice evenly in the shape of a circle in front of the deities and make eight lines from the centre of the circle to the eight corners.
• To draft a Kalash for puja, add all these items to the Kalash— supari, water, currency coins, and akshat. After adding all these items, arrange mango leaves on the Kalash’s neck, top it with coconut, and put the Kalash on the rice rings in front of the deities.
• Place an ignited oil or ghee lamp to the right of the gods.
• Attain the blessings of Lord Ganesha by offering red hibiscus flowers and durva along with fruits, coconut, supari, paan, and Dakshina.
• Clean your hands using a few drops of water from the Panchapatra, and then start the puja by offering water to Lord Shiva’s and Parvati’s feet. 
• Offer the following items to Lord Shiva— a piece of white cloth, Chandan, and janeu, followed by flowers, Datura fruits, Vilva Patra, and white crown flowers. Make a flower offering to Devi Parvati, such as a rose and suhag samagri, including Mehendi, kajal, kumkum, Haldi, sindoor, Alta, bangles, Nath, red chunri, etc.
• Offer food that is onion and garlic-free, known as Naivedhya or bhog. 
• Light incense sticks before reading the Vrat Katha.
• Performing the aarti with an ignited camphor after reading the Hartalika Teej Vrat Katha is the final act of the puja.

Hartalika Teej Legends and Mythology

Hartalika Teej festival is dedicated to Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva, the most powerful couple in Hindu Mythology. The festival celebrates the love between Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Legend says Hartalika eloped with Lord Shiva to avoid marrying a man her father chose. Hartalika’s friend helped them hide in the forest and perform penance. 

Lord Shiva blessed their love and agreed to marry Hartalika. Married women fast, dress in traditional attire, apply henna and pray for their husband’s long life on this day. It is a significant festival in India, celebrated with devotion and enthusiasm.

Hartalika Teej Vrat Katha

Once upon a time, a king had a very beautiful daughter. The king’s daughter’s name was Parvati. Parvati was very religious and pious. She was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. One day, Parvati decided to marry Lord Shiva. Parvati did severe penance to Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva was pleased with Parvati’s penance and appeared before her and promised to marry her. Lord Shiva and Parvati got married, and they lived happily ever after.

Hartalika Teej is celebrated on the day of the marriage of Parvati and Lord Shiva. Women worship Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati on this day and pray for happiness, prosperity, and good luck.

Celebration and Festivity of Hartalika Teej in Different Parts of the World

North India

In the northern states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Haryana, women adorn themselves in stunning traditional attire, decorate their hands with beautiful henna designs, and fast on this day to seek blessings from Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. In some regions, they also engage in lively folk songs and traditional dances, adding to the festive enthusiasm.

Western India

In western India, Maharashtra witnesses women offering coconut and jaggery to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati while performing aarti in the evening. In Gujarat, it is a community festival, and married women exchange clothes and gifts with each other, strengthening the bond of sisterhood.

Southern India

The southern states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have their unique way of celebrating Hartalika Teej. In Tamil Nadu, women perform puja and offer neem leaves, sugarcane, and fruits to the goddess. In contrast, in Andhra Pradesh, women create intricate clay idols of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati and worship them.

Nepal

In Nepal, the festival is known as “Hartalika Teej,” and women observe a fast and perform puja for the long life of their husbands. They also visit Shiva temples and offer prayers, immersing themselves in the divine aura of the festival.

Not confined to India, Hartalika Teej is celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm in countries like Mauritius, Fiji, and Trinidad and Tobago. Hindu communities here also observe fasts, pray for the well-being of their husbands and families, and seek blessings from Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.

If you reside out of India and cannot find the pandit for Hartalika Puja in a foreign land, then we will help you. Our team offers e-puja services where devotees can get the benefits of puja with the expertise of a professional Vedic pandit in the comfort of their screen.

Spiritual & Cultural Significance of Hartalika Teej

• Hartalika Teej celebrates the eternal love between Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati while seeking their blessings for a happy and prosperous married life.
• It serves as a reminder of the significance of marriage in Hindu culture, emphasizing the beauty of the bond between spouses.
• By observing the fast and performing rituals, married women aim to strengthen their marital bond and ensure longevity and happiness.
• This significant festival celebrates the devotion, strength, and commitment of women towards their families and marriages.

Physical and Mental Benefits of Hartalika Teej

• Detoxification: Fasting promotes body detoxification, improving digestion and overall health.
• Mental Discipline: Observing the fast requires discipline and self-control, promoting mental clarity and strong willpower.
• Emotional Well-being: The festival’s rituals and prayers help reduce stress and improve emotional well-being.
• Bonding with Family: Celebrating the festival with loved ones strengthens social bonds and promotes happiness.