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KarmaVaani

Vrat · July–September

Teej

Also known as Hariyali, Kajari and Hartalika Teej

Monsoon festivals of women, celebrating the union of Shiva and Parvati.

A wooden swing hung with flowers from a tree branch in monsoon greenery, green glass bangles and a cone of mehndi in the foreground

Three Teej festivals fall in the rains. Hariyali Teej in Shravana greets the green of the monsoon with swings and songs; Kajari Teej follows in Bhadrapada; Hartalika Teej, the most strictly kept, recalls Parvati’s penance to win Shiva. Women dress in green and red, apply mehndi and pray for marital happiness.

Why it is kept

Parvati’s devotion and Shiva’s acceptance of her, as a model for marriage.

Step by step

How to observe it

  1. Dress and decorate

    Green clothes, bangles and mehndi.

  2. Worship Shiva and Parvati

    Clay images of Shiva and Parvati are worshipped in the evening.

  3. Keep the fast

    On Hartalika Teej the fast is without water, through the night until the next morning.

Customs differ between regions, communities and families. Where your family or temple has its own way, follow it.

Fasting

Fasting

Hartalika Teej: nirjala until the next morning. Hariyali and Kajari Teej are often kept with a lighter fast.

Fasts should suit your health. Children, elders, pregnant women and anyone unwell or on medication should eat, or keep a lighter fast; that is the tradition, not an exception to it.

Traditions

  • Swings and monsoon songs
  • Mehndi and green clothes
  • Shiva–Parvati puja
  • The Hartalika nirjala fast

Where to go

Temples to visit