Why Hartalika Teej Puja is Celebrated
Hartalika Teej is a significant festival observed by married and unmarried women to seek the blessings of Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva for marital harmony, prosperity, and well-being. According to legend, Maa Parvati performed intense penance to be united with Lord Shiva, and her devotion was fulfilled on this day. Hence, women observe fasts, perform puja, and pray for a happy married life, the longevity of their husbands, and overall family prosperity.
There are 5 stages of the puja.
Stage 1: Setting up the Puja Space
This stage prepares the sacred setup for the puja.
Stage 2: Preparations Before the Katha
This stage is about offering purity, devotion, and symbolic items.
Stage 3: Vrat Katha
This stage narrates the sacred story and strengthens the vrat.
Stage 4: Aarti and Havan
This stage invokes divine blessings and purifies the atmosphere
Stage 5: Completion of Puja
This stage concludes the vrat with blessings and moon worship
Stage 1: Setting up the Puja Space
Clean Yourself and the Space
Start by taking a bath and wearing clean, traditional clothes. Sprinkle a few drops of Ganga Jal around the puja area to purify the space and invite divine energy.
Set up the Asan and Idols
Spread a red cloth on a small table or base, decorate with flower petals and akshat, and place a thali with idols of Shiv, Parvati and Ganesh ji or photo of Shiv Parivar. If you do not have idols, you can make small figures using sand or clay.
Kalash and Deepak Sthapana
On a clean spot, sprinkle akshat and flowers, then place a kalash filled with water. Add a coin, laung, elaichi, supari, and flowers inside, and cover with mango leaves. Do a roli tilak on the kalash, place a ghee diya nearby, and light it along with a dhoop stick to begin the puja with a sacred ambiance.
Stage 2: Preparations before the Katha
Start the Puja with Abhishekam
Light the diya. Sprinkle a few drops of Ganga Jal (or clean water) on the idols or photos, then sprinkle milk, and again a little water. (In temples, Shiv ji is bathed with water and milk, but at home this simple sprinkle is enough.)
Keep a small lota filled with water aside. This will be used later in the evening to offer arghya to the moon.
Offer Clothes, Tilak, and Shringar Samagri
After abhishekam, offer a small piece of mauli (red string available with the puja box) to each idol (symbolically offering new clothes to the deities). Apply roli tilak and akshat, then offer flowers, fruits, and any prasad you’ve prepared – ideally soaked chana as well.
Stage 3: Teej Vrat Katha
Offer Shringar to Maa Parvati
Before starting the Vrat Katha, offer all the shringar items (given in the puja box) one by one to Maa Parvati. It is important to then apply sindoor from your ‘sindoor daan’ to Maa Parvati either once, thrice, or five times, and remember the number of times, as you will need to apply sindoor to yourself the same number of times at the end of the puja (taking suhaag as aashirvaad).
Vrat Katha
After this, begin reading the Vrat Katha provided in the puja kit while holding soaked grams (chana) in your hand. Once the katha is completed, place the soaked grams along with the puja prasad.
Stage 4: Aarti and Havan
Aarti
After completing the Vrat Katha, perform the aarti. Prepare an aarti thali by sprinkling some Akshat and making a small swastik with roli on the plate. Place a small metal diya with kapur in it, light it, and recite the Shiv Aarti while moving the thali in a clockwise direction.
Havan
After the aarti, perform a small havan. You can use the havan cups provided, or set up a small havan kund and light a fire with kapur. Offer havan samagri and a small portion of the prasad into the fire to complete the ritual.
Stage 5: Completion of Puja and Arag
Seek Forgiveness and Complete the Puja
Join your hands and humbly seek forgiveness from the deities for any mistakes made during the puja.
Take Aashirwad and Sindoor from Maa Parvati
Pray for the well-being of your family. Then hold your aanchal or chunni in your right hand and touch it to the sindoor applied to Maa Parvati in Stage 3. Place this sindoor on your forehead, repeating the process the same number of times you had applied sindoor to Maa Parvati earlier.
Chand Arag (Offering to the Moon)
Take the vessel of water kept aside at the start of the puja. Once the moon is visible, offer arag by holding your aanchal or chunni in your hand and pouring water over it. Turn around at the same spot and repeat this 3, 5, or 7 times until the water is finished.
Dismantle the Setup
The next morning, take a bath, light a dhoop stick, and say a short prayer. After this, dismantle the puja setup and distribute the prasad among family members.