Hartalika Teej 2022: Puja timings, how to observe fast, perform puja

Hartalika Teej, one of the major festivals celebrated by married women, is being celebrated today - August 30, 2022. The festival falls during Shukla Paksha Tritiya of Bhadrapada month and is celebrated like other two Teejs (Hariyali Teej and Kajari Teej) in Eastern UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh.

Married and unmarried women worship Lord Shiva and Parvati by observing fast on this day. A 'nirjala' fast is observed to pray for the long lives of their husbands or get a spouse of their choice.

Hartalika Teej History and why it's celebrated: According to Hindu traditions, Goddess Parvati kept fast to get Lord Shiva as her husband. Hartalika comprises two words - 'harát' - abduction and 'alika' - female friend. As per the traditional beliefs, Goddess Parvati wanted to have Lord Shiva as her husband. However, Parvati's father Himalaya wanted her to marry Lord Vishnu. When Goddess Parvati shared her misery with her friend, she helped Parvati by abducting her. She took her in a forest where Parvati performed pooja for Lord Shiva. Seeing her devotion, Lord Shiva agreed to marry her.


Prayer timing: The auspicious timings for worship on this day are 6:05 am to 8:38 am in the morning and in the evening puja can also be done between 6:33 pm and 8:51 pm.

How to celebrate Hartalika Teej 2022: Women observe fast for around 24 hours without consuming food or water. Idols of Lord Ganesha, Lord Shiva, and Goddess Parvati are worshipped on this day. Dishes like bedmi poori, aloo ki sabji, dal baati, kadhi, malpua, ghevar, kheer, thekua and gujia are cooked on this day. Women apply beautiful mehendi on their hands and wear traditional red and green clothes.

In many parts of the country, women stay awake for the entire night of their fast and sing folk songs along with a group of women.

Puja is usually done in a group and the vrat is concluded on the next day morning.