Hartalika Teej 2023: Significance, rituals, auspicious timings, and other important details about the festival

The festival of Hartalika Teej is fast approaching, and Hindu married women across the country are immersed in its preparations. This year, Hartalika Teej, dedicated to Goddess Parvati, is celebrated on September 18, 2023, marking an auspicious occasion in the Hindu calendar.

Teej is renowned for its significance in the Hindu religion, with three major observances throughout the year. The third Teej, celebrated on Tritiya Tithi of Shukla Paksha in the month of Bhadrapada, is known as Hartalika Teej. This year, it commences on September 17, 2023, at 11:08 AM and concludes on September 18, 2023, at 12:39 PM. The Pratahkaal Puja Muhurat for Hartalika Teej falls between 05:35 AM and 08:01 AM on September 18, 2023.

Hartalika Teej holds great significance in Hindu culture, particularly among married women. They embrace this festival with fervor, donning new attire, applying Mehndi on their hands and feet, and fasting with unwavering devotion. The core purpose of their celebration is to seek the well-being and longevity of their husbands, offering prayers to Goddess Parvati.


This grand celebration primarily unfolds in North India, where married women observe fasts and pray to Goddess Parvati, aiming to find a life partner as virtuous as Lord Shiva. The festival also extends its reach to South India, where it is known as Gowri Habba. Here, married women observe fasts and offer prayers to Goddess Gauri, engaging in the Swarna Gowri Vratha to ensure a harmonious married life.

The story behind Hartalika Teej is rooted in Hindu scriptures. It recounts how Goddess Parvati, initially proposed to marry Lord Vishnu, but later, due to her deep love for Lord Shiva, embarked on a rigorous penance. Her commitment and devotion led Lord Shiva to accept her as his wife, revealing that the proposal from Lord Vishnu was a mere illusion created to inspire Goddess Parvati's penance.

The rituals associated with Hartalika Teej include a morning bath, the placement of Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva's idols, and the lighting of a ghee lamp. Flowers, clothing, and jewelry adorn Goddess Parvati, followed by the preparation of Bhog Prasad, which includes dishes like Rice Kheer, Aalo Ki Sabzi, Poori, Semolina Halwa, and Raita. In the evening, all the prasad is offered to Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva, accompanied by the recitation of Vrat Katha and Aarti. The fast is broken after sunset, and the prasad is shared with family members, seeking blessings from elders by touching their feet.

Devotees also chant specific mantras during Hartalika Teej:

1. "Sarva Mangal Maangalyaye Shive Sarvartha Sadhike Sharanyaye Triyambike Gauri Narayani Namostute..!!"
2. "Sarva Badha Vinirmukto Dhan Dhaanye Sutanvitaha Manushyo Matprasaden Bhavishyati a Sanshayah..!!"

Hartalika Teej 2023 is a momentous occasion for Hindu married women to express their devotion to Goddess Parvati and pray for the well-being and longevity of their husbands. It is a festival deeply rooted in tradition and spirituality, celebrated with great enthusiasm across India on September 18, 2023.