Hartalika Teej is an Indian festival, celebrated during Shukla Paksha Tritiya of Bhadrapada month. On this day, married women observe fast and worship Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati for marital harmony and pray for the long life of their husbands. On this festival, women renounce water and food for 24 hours, offer prayer and then break the fast with traditional delicacies and sweets prepared at home.
Date and Timing
The festival comes one month after Hariyali Teej and most of the time celebrated one day before Ganesh Chaturthi. During Hartalika Teej women worship Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati which are made of clay. This year, the festival will be celebrated on 26th August, 2025 and the Pratahkal Hartalika Puja Muhurat is from 05:56 AM to 08:31 AM. The Tritiya Tithi begins at 12:34 PM on Aug 25, 2025 and Tritiya Tithi ends at 01:54 PM on Aug 26, 2025.
It is mentioned in Drik Panchang that the festival is known by this name due to the legend associated with it. The Word Hartalika is a combination of Harat and Aalika which means abduction and female friend respectively. According to Drik Panchang, Hartalika Vrat is known as Gowri Habba in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and it is a significant festival to get the blessing of Goddess Gowri. On the day of Gowri Habba women observe Swarna Gowri Vratha to seek blessings of Goddess Gowri for a happy married life.
Here are some rules that one should keep in mind while fasting for Hartalika Teej
1. The fast is observed by married women for the long life of their husbands. And in some places unmarried girls also observe this fast to get the desired groom. According to experts, if the fast is observed once by a married woman, it has to be observed every year.
2. In this fast, women renounce water and food for 24 hours and eat only after the muhurat ends next morning, after offering vermilion to Goddess Parvati.
3. During the muhurat time of puja, women have to offer prayer to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati and perform arti of both the deities and pray for the long life of husbands.
4. In this puja, homemade sweets and other delicacies are offered to deities. The list of dishes include halwa, poori, thekwa, gujiya, kheer, coconut laddoo and fresh fruits. In some places people also add readymade sweets like khaja, ghewar, and gulab jamun.
5. After performing the evening puja, the women observing fast touch the feet of their husbands and seek blessings.
6. During the puja muhurat, Lord Shiva is offered cow milk, bel batra, dhature ke phool and leaves too, as a part of puja ritual. It is believed to be Lord Shiva's favourites.
Do's and don'ts
Women wake up early, take a shower, wear clean clothes and then eat sattvik light food before observing the fast.
On this day, women wear vibrant colour clothes and follow 16 shringaar before performing evening puja.
Women worship Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati on this day and make clay idols of the deities for rituals.
They light diya and offer bhog of homemade sweets and fruits.
Women break the fast after 24 hours with bhog prasad.
On this day, women neither make nor consume food that uses onion and garlic.
They avoid wearing colours like blue, black, white, or grey.
They avoid indulging in any fight on this day as well.
Take a look at dishes prepared on this festival
Gujiya
Also made during Holi, Gujiya makes for a delectable Teej treat. This Indian pastry is made with ingredients like refined flour, semolina, mawa, sugar, almonds, and green cardamom.
Malpua
It's an Indian pancake, flavoured with fennel and cardamom powder and soaked in sugar syrup. It is best served with Rabdi.
Atte ka Halwa
It is a sweet pudding recipe made with wheat flour roasted in desi ghee and further cooked in sugar syrup, topped with cardamom powder, and roasted nuts.
Coconut Laddoo
These are melt-in-the-mouth balls made with grated coconut, milk, milkmaid, sugar, cashew, and cardamom powder.
Thekua
These are deep-fried mini discs of wheat flour, sugar, desi ghee, & dry fruits that are embossed with different designs and patterns using wooden frames.
Sabudana Kheer
It is a pudding made with soaked sabudana pearls, full-fat milk, sugar and roasted nuts.
Poori
Deep-fried in desi ghee, these wheat flour discs are best served with vrat vale aloo, atte ka halwa and sabudana kheer.
All Images Courtesy: istock
Date and Timing
The festival comes one month after Hariyali Teej and most of the time celebrated one day before Ganesh Chaturthi. During Hartalika Teej women worship Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati which are made of clay. This year, the festival will be celebrated on 26th August, 2025 and the Pratahkal Hartalika Puja Muhurat is from 05:56 AM to 08:31 AM. The Tritiya Tithi begins at 12:34 PM on Aug 25, 2025 and Tritiya Tithi ends at 01:54 PM on Aug 26, 2025.
It is mentioned in Drik Panchang that the festival is known by this name due to the legend associated with it. The Word Hartalika is a combination of Harat and Aalika which means abduction and female friend respectively. According to Drik Panchang, Hartalika Vrat is known as Gowri Habba in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and it is a significant festival to get the blessing of Goddess Gowri. On the day of Gowri Habba women observe Swarna Gowri Vratha to seek blessings of Goddess Gowri for a happy married life.
Here are some rules that one should keep in mind while fasting for Hartalika Teej
1. The fast is observed by married women for the long life of their husbands. And in some places unmarried girls also observe this fast to get the desired groom. According to experts, if the fast is observed once by a married woman, it has to be observed every year.
2. In this fast, women renounce water and food for 24 hours and eat only after the muhurat ends next morning, after offering vermilion to Goddess Parvati.
3. During the muhurat time of puja, women have to offer prayer to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati and perform arti of both the deities and pray for the long life of husbands.
4. In this puja, homemade sweets and other delicacies are offered to deities. The list of dishes include halwa, poori, thekwa, gujiya, kheer, coconut laddoo and fresh fruits. In some places people also add readymade sweets like khaja, ghewar, and gulab jamun.
5. After performing the evening puja, the women observing fast touch the feet of their husbands and seek blessings.
6. During the puja muhurat, Lord Shiva is offered cow milk, bel batra, dhature ke phool and leaves too, as a part of puja ritual. It is believed to be Lord Shiva's favourites.
Do's and don'ts
Women wake up early, take a shower, wear clean clothes and then eat sattvik light food before observing the fast.
On this day, women wear vibrant colour clothes and follow 16 shringaar before performing evening puja.
Women worship Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati on this day and make clay idols of the deities for rituals.
They light diya and offer bhog of homemade sweets and fruits.
Women break the fast after 24 hours with bhog prasad.
On this day, women neither make nor consume food that uses onion and garlic.
They avoid wearing colours like blue, black, white, or grey.
They avoid indulging in any fight on this day as well.
Take a look at dishes prepared on this festival
Gujiya
Also made during Holi, Gujiya makes for a delectable Teej treat. This Indian pastry is made with ingredients like refined flour, semolina, mawa, sugar, almonds, and green cardamom.
Malpua
It's an Indian pancake, flavoured with fennel and cardamom powder and soaked in sugar syrup. It is best served with Rabdi.
Atte ka Halwa
It is a sweet pudding recipe made with wheat flour roasted in desi ghee and further cooked in sugar syrup, topped with cardamom powder, and roasted nuts.
Coconut Laddoo
These are melt-in-the-mouth balls made with grated coconut, milk, milkmaid, sugar, cashew, and cardamom powder.
Thekua
These are deep-fried mini discs of wheat flour, sugar, desi ghee, & dry fruits that are embossed with different designs and patterns using wooden frames.
Sabudana Kheer
It is a pudding made with soaked sabudana pearls, full-fat milk, sugar and roasted nuts.
Poori
Deep-fried in desi ghee, these wheat flour discs are best served with vrat vale aloo, atte ka halwa and sabudana kheer.
All Images Courtesy: istock
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