Hartalika Teej 2025: Date, Puja Muhurat, Sargi, Fasting Rules, and Why It Matters

The festival that puts friendship, resolve, and devotion at the center of married life comes early this year. Across homes and temples, women will keep a rigorous day-long fast, shape clay or sand idols of Shiva and Parvati, and stay up through the night in prayer. That is the heart of Hartalika Teej 2025, a tradition that remembers the moment a friend helped Goddess Parvati choose her path—toward Shiva—despite pressure to marry elsewhere.

The name says it all: “Harat” (to abduct) and “Aalika” (female friend). As the story goes, Parvati’s friend spirited her away to a forest so her father could not marry her off to Vishnu. Parvati then performed intense penance for Shiva. The fast, the puja, and the retelling of this katha are all tied to that single act of agency and support.

Date, timings, and where it’s observed

Date: Tuesday, August 26, 2025 (Tritiya Tithi, Shukla Paksha, Bhadrapada). The Tritiya Tithi starts on August 25 at 12:34 PM and ends on August 26 at 1:54 PM. Fasting and the main observance are on August 26.

Puja muhurat: Morning 06:01 AM–08:57 AM (favored for Teej worship). Evening (Pradosh) 07:39 PM–09:47 PM is also considered auspicious, especially if morning worship is not possible.

Sargi window: Brahma Muhurat on August 26 runs from 4:24 AM–5:12 AM. In many households, women begin the fast by partaking of Sargi—fruit, nuts, or light traditional items received as blessing—before sunrise. Different regions observe this pre-dawn meal under different names. In parts of Nepal and North India, families gather the previous evening for a shared feast that leads into the fast.

Where it’s big: You’ll see large gatherings in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and across Nepal. Cities with major Shiva temples often host special abhisheks, all-women satsangs, and all-night bhajans. Markets turn green with glass bangles, bindis, sarees, and mehendi cones—colors and adornments linked to Parvati and marital bliss.

What makes Hartalika different from other Teej festivals? Hariyali Teej celebrates the monsoon’s arrival; Kajari Teej focuses on the bond between spouses after the rains set in. Hartalika is the one rooted in Parvati’s penance and choice, and it carries the strictest fast of the three for many communities.

How the fast and puja are performed

The fast: Married women fast for the long life and well-being of their husbands and for harmony at home. Unmarried women keep it to seek a compatible partner. Tradition ranges from nirjala (no water) to a more manageable phalahar (fruits and water). Elderly devotees and those with medical needs often choose a light fast—faith is central, not strain.

Day flow, step by step:

1. Pre-dawn Sargi: Eat a light, sattvic plate during the Brahma Muhurat. This is seen as prasadam, not a regular meal, and it sets the intent for the day.
2. Snan and attire: Take an early bath, wear clean clothes—many choose green, red, or yellow. Married women often apply mehendi and sindoor and wear bangles, echoing Parvati’s “solah shringar” (sixteen adornments).
3. Puja sthapana: Set a clean cloth on a low table or near your home shrine. Place sand or clay idols of Shiva and Parvati. Many households also set a small Ganesh idol, a kalash with mango leaves and a coconut, and a lamp.
4. Samagri (offerings): Keep bilva leaves, fresh flowers, durva grass, sandal paste, haldi-kumkum, incense, camphor, fruits, seasonal sweets (ghevar in some regions), and a simple naivedya (milk-based sweets, kheer, or dry fruits). Offer leaves and flowers to Shiva, and shringar items (bindi, bangles, comb, mirror) to Parvati.
5. Vrat sankalp: Sit facing east if possible, light the lamp, and take a vow to keep the fast with devotion for marital well-being or an ideal partner.
6. Katha and bhajans: Read or listen to the Hartalika Teej katha—the episode of Parvati’s tapasya and her friend’s timely intervention. Sing Shiva-Parvati bhajans. Some women form circles and share the katha, rotating a decorated thali.
7. Abhishek and aarti: Offer water or milk to the Shiva idol or linga (a few drops, not a large pour for home shrines). Perform aarti in the morning muhurat. If you miss it, the Pradosh muhurat is your next best window.
8. Jagran: Many keep vigil after sunset, continuing bhajans and chants of “Om Namah Shivaya.” Families join, turning homes into small sabhas.
9. Parana (breaking the fast): Break the fast the next morning, typically on Chaturthi Tithi, after bathing and offering a brief closing puja. Start with water or sweetened milk, then light, sattvic food.

Why the story matters: The legend highlights choice, friendship, and spiritual focus. Parvati’s friend protects her agency; Parvati’s discipline earns Shiva’s acceptance. For many, the fast is less about hardship and more about intent—centering your mind, pausing the daily rush, and giving thanks for the ties that hold families together.

What to prepare ahead of time:

• Idols or a small linga, a kalash, a diya, and cotton wicks
• Bilva leaves, flowers, sandal paste, haldi-kumkum, incense, camphor
• Fruits, dry fruits, milk, curd, ghee, and a simple sweet
• Shringar items for Parvati (bindi, bangles, comb, mirror)
• Mehendi cones and green bangles if you follow that custom

Tips for fasting comfortably and safely:

• If you are new to nirjala, consider phalahar (fruits and water) instead. The fast is about devotion, not exhaustion.
• Avoid long hours under direct sun. Keep cool and rest as needed.
• If you are pregnant, diabetic, or on medication, don’t fast without medical advice. Offer a symbolic fast and join the puja fully.
• Plan a light, balanced parana: start with fluids, then fruits or khichdi. Heavy fried food right after a fast can be rough on the stomach.

Regional colors you’ll notice:

• North and West India: Green sarees and glass bangles, mehendi, folk songs, and decorated swings in some areas. Markets stock ghevar, pedas, and seasonal sweets.
• Nepal: A strong community flavor with group singing, red attire for married women, and a shared “feast-then-fast” rhythm from the previous day.
• Maharashtra: Women’s groups meet for kirtans and exchange haldi-kumkum, carrying forward the Parvati shringar theme.

Common questions, answered quickly:

• Can men observe the fast? Some do in support of family, but the tradition is led by women.
• Is evening puja okay? Yes, Pradosh Kaal (07:39–09:47 PM in 2025) is auspicious if morning worship isn’t possible.
• Are store-bought idols fine? Absolutely. The intention matters more than where the idol comes from.
• What if I can’t keep the full fast? Do a partial fast, read the katha, and offer your prayer with sincerity.

The bigger picture: Festivals like Hartalika survive because they adapt. Families split the day between home puja and quick visits to nearby temples. Working women plan the katha during the morning muhurat or after office in the evening window. Community groups host short bhajan sessions so more people can join before nightfall. That balance keeps the tradition alive without turning it into a burden.

Key times at a glance for August 26, 2025: Morning puja 06:01–08:57 AM; Evening puja 07:39–09:47 PM; Sargi (Brahma Muhurat) 4:24–5:12 AM; Tritiya Tithi runs until 1:54 PM. The fast is generally broken the next morning on Chaturthi, after a short closing puja.

For devotees, the day is simple in spirit even when the schedule is busy: an early start, a focused vow, the timeless katha, a quiet aarti, and gratitude—for a partner’s good health if you are married, and for clarity and companionship if you are not. The thread that runs through it all is Parvati’s resolve and a friend’s courage, retold year after year so it never fades.