Hartalika Teej 2025 observed Aug 26 with nirjala fast for husbands

Hartalika Teej 2025 is set to be observed on Tuesday, August 26, with married women across northern states undertaking a nirjala fast for the long life and happiness of their husbands, while unmarried women pray for a suitable life partner. Marked by the union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, the festival emphasizes devotion, endurance, and the bonds of marriage. The day falls on the Tritiya of the Shukla Paksha in the Bhadrapada month, a timing that aligns with the wider Teej season in North India and its regional variants in the south.

Central to Hartalika Teej is the sequence of worship that begins with prayers to Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles, before turning to Shiva-Parvati rites. Devotees prepare clean puja spaces, adorn idols of the deities fashioned from sand or clay, and Bathe Parvati in bridal finery, complete with traditional suhaag items. The ritual atmosphere is enriched by the chanting of Hartalika Teej Katha, the distribution of offerings such as vermilion, modaks, durva grass, and flowers, and the lighting of ghee lamps as part of the aarti. Women also traditionally dress in solah shringar and apply mehndi, underscoring the festival’s emphasis on...