Hartalika Teej
Also called Hartalika Tritiya, Teej
When
Monday, 14 September 2026 in 4 days
New Delhi ยท change location
See the complete panchang for that day โ
Why this date?
Bhadrapada Shukla Tritiya โ the third tithi of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapada, immediately before Ganesh Chaturthi. That adjacency is the most reliable way to place it: wherever Ganesh Chaturthi falls, Hartalika Teej is the day before.
- Computed by the panchanga engine for your location
- Follows a written selection rule, not a copied list
- Governed by the whole day rather than a specific period
- The written guide has not yet been reviewed by a named scholar
Dates come from the calculation engine and are independent of the written guide. How we calculate โ
Dates in the coming years
Published to 2030. Later years appear as the dataset is extended and validated.
What In short
A day-long fast kept by women for Gauri, with an overnight vigil. Unmarried women keep it for a good husband and married women for their husband's long life, and in both cases the model is Parvati's own tapas to win Shiva.
- Deity: Gauri (Parvati); Shiva
Why The reason behind it
The name carries the story: harat, taken away, and alika, the friend. Parvati's companion carried her off into the forest so that she could perform tapas for Shiva rather than be married to Vishnu as her father intended. The vrat re-enacts that choice โ the sand-and-clay Gauri made and worshipped through the night is the image Parvati is said to have made for herself.
Traditional basis
Bhavishya Purana, Hartalika vrata katha โ The recited katha of Parvati's tapas and the friend's intervention, which the vrat's name preserves.
Regional vrata-katha tradition โ The observance is carried mainly by household practice and the recited katha rather than by a single fixed textual prescription.
How At home, step by step
- Bathe and dress before dawn; many keep the fast nirjala, without food or water.
- Make the Gauri image from clay or sand, with Shiva and a small Ganesha alongside, and install it.
- Perform the puja in the evening and hear the Hartalika katha.
- Keep the night vigil with bhajans; break the fast the following morning.
What you'll need
- Clay or river sand for the images
- Bel leaves, durva and flowers
- Bangles, sindoor and the sixteen shringar items
- A ghee lamp
- Fruit for the naivedya
Fasting and breaking the fast
Nirjala โ without food or water โ from before dawn through the night, with the vigil. It is among the longest household fasts kept, and pregnancy, illness, diabetes and medication schedules are ordinary and sufficient reasons to keep it in a lighter form or not at all. That is a household decision, not a medical instruction from this page.
Fasting guidance here describes traditional practice. It is not medical advice โ if you are pregnant, diabetic, on medication or unwell, ask a doctor about your own circumstances.
Personal In your region
- North India yours
One of the three Teej observances of the season, after Hariyali Teej and Kajari Teej; this is the strictest of them. - Maharashtra (Marathi)
Kept widely, and the day before Ganesh Chaturthi gives it a particular household rhythm โ the Gauri images are made as the Ganesha preparations are already under way. - Andhra & Telangana (Telugu)
Kept alongside the Gauri observance of the same season.
For children
Women stay awake all night and do not eat or drink, making little Gauri and Shiva figures out of clay. The story is about Parvati running away to the forest with her friend so she could choose whom to marry.
Common questions
- Is this the same as Gowri Habba?
- They fall together and both are for Gauri, but they are not the same observance. Gowri Habba (Swarna Gowri Vrata) is the Karnataka form, kept as the arrival of Gauri at her parents' home the day before her son Ganesha comes; Hartalika Teej is the fasting vrat of the Parvati tapas story. This site lists them separately for that reason.
- How is it different from the other Teej festivals?
- Hariyali Teej and Kajari Teej fall earlier in the monsoon and are lighter, with swings and songs. Hartalika Teej is the fasting one, and it is the only one of the three tied to the day before Ganesh Chaturthi.
This guide has not yet been reviewed by a named scholar or practising priest. The dates and times on this page come from the calculation engine and are independent of it; the explanatory text is editorial and may not reflect your family's practice. Tell us if something is wrong.