Married women fast for husband's long life. Shiva-Parvati worship.
Hartalika Teej remembers the great penance of Goddess Parvati to win Lord Shiva as her husband. The name comes from "Harat" (to take away) and "Alika" (a friend), for the story tells how Parvati’s close friend took her away into the forest so that she could perform her tapasya undisturbed, rather than be married to anyone but Shiva. Moved by her devotion, Shiva accepted her as his eternal consort. The festival celebrates that ideal of steadfast love and devotion.
On Hartalika Teej, married women keep a strict nirjala fast, taking neither food nor water, and pray for the long life and wellbeing of their husbands. Unmarried girls keep it praying for a good husband. Women dress in fine clothes and bangles, often in green, make idols of Shiva and Parvati from clay or sand, and worship them through the day and night with a vigil of bhajans. In Gujarat the day is also known as Kevda Trij. The fast is broken the next morning.
Hartalika Teej 2026 is on Monday, 14 September 2026. In Gujarat it is also known as Kevda Trij.
Women keep a strict nirjala fast, taking neither food nor water, worship clay idols of Shiva and Parvati through the day and night, and break the fast the next morning.
Married women keep it for the long life and wellbeing of their husbands, and unmarried girls keep it praying for a good husband, following the example of Parvati’s devotion to Shiva.