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Hartalika Teej Puja

Parvati's penance, clay Shiva and Parvati, and a night of songs

Common way — most homes

Hartalika Teej, Shukla Tritiya of Bhadrapada, with worship in the early morning or evening. Muhurtha shows the day on the festival card.

About 45 minutes; the fast runs a full day

Parvati's friends carried her to the forest so she could do penance for Shiva, and this fast remembers her resolve. Married and unmarried women shape Shiva and Parvati from clay, hear the story and often stay up singing. If a mantra is hard, "Om Uma Maheshwarabhyam Namah" can stand in for any of them.

Prayers in this puja

Shubham Karoti ›Vakratunda Mahakaya ›Shuklambaradharam ›Mushikavahana ›

Get ready

The day before

• Eat a light, simple dinner.
• Get clean clay or sand, leaves such as bilva, and a banana-leaf or flower canopy if you make one.

On the day

• Bathe, and wear green or red if you have it.
• Shape small images of Shiva, Parvati and a friend, or use a picture.

What you need

For Hartalika

• 1 setClay images of Shiva and Parvati, or a picture
• A handfulBilva leaves and green leaves
• A handfulFlowers
• A littleBangles, kumkum and a green cloth for Parvati
• 1 plateFruit
• 1Story of HartalikaPrinted or read aloud.

For the altar

• 1Clean cloth to place it onRed or yellow is traditional.
• 1Puja plate (thali)

On the plate

• 1Oil lamp (diya) with a cotton wickGhee or sesame oil.
• 2Incense sticks (agarbatti)
• A pinch eachKumkum and haldi
• A littleSandal paste (chandan)No chandan? Use kumkum.
• 1 tablespoonAkshat — unbroken rice grains mixed with a little kumkum
• A handfulFresh flowers
• 1Small vessel of clean water with a spoon
• 1Small bellOptional.

To offer

• A littleFruit, jaggery, sugar crystals (mishri) or anything cooked fresh at home
• 1 or 2 piecesCamphor for the aartiOptional; the lamp can be used instead.

The puja

1. Light the lamp

   Light the lamp and place it to the right of the deity. Fold your hands to it.

   śubhaṁ karōti kalyāṇamārōgyaṁ dhanasampadaḥ. śatrubuddhivināśāya dīpajyōtirnamō'stu tē.I bow to the flame of the lamp, which brings good fortune, well-being, health and wealth, and destroys ill will.

   Shubham Karoti ›

2. Remember Ganesha

   Every puja begins with Ganesha, the remover of obstacles. Fold your hands and say the verse once.

   vakratuṇḍa mahākāya sūryakōṭisamaprabha. nirvighnaṁ kuru mē dēva sarvakāryēṣu sarvadā.O Ganesha of the curved trunk and mighty form, radiant as a crore suns, keep my every work free of obstacles, always.

   Vakratunda Mahakaya ›Shuklambaradharam ›Mushikavahana ›

3. Sankalpa — state your intention

   Hold a little water, akshat and a flower in your right palm. Say your name, today's date in the Hindu calendar, and why you are doing the puja — for example, for the well-being of the family. Then let the water fall on the ground or into a plate. Tap "Make sankalpa" to read today's full sankalpa.

4. Dhyana — invite the deity

   Close your eyes and picture the deity before you. Offer a pinch of akshat as you invite them to be present.

   ōm umāmahēśvarābhyāṁ namaḥ. dhyāyāmi, āvāhayāmi.

5. Set up the images

   Place the clay images on a clean board with the canopy above. Offer water to them gently; clay softens quickly.

6. Offer leaves and shringar

   Offer the bilva and flowers to Shiva, and the bangles, kumkum and cloth to Parvati. Say the mantra with each.

   ōm umāmahēśvarābhyāṁ namaḥ.

7. Dhupa — incense

   Light the incense and wave it gently before the deity three times, clockwise. Ring the bell with your left hand if you have one.

   ōm umāmahēśvarābhyāṁ namaḥ. dhūpam āghrāpayāmi.

8. Deepa — the lamp

   Lift the lamp and show it to the deity, circling it clockwise three times.

   ōm umāmahēśvarābhyāṁ namaḥ. dīpaṁ darśayāmi.

9. Naivedya — food

   Place the food before the deity. Sprinkle a little water around it, and offer it with folded hands. Wait a moment, as if it is being received.

   ōm umāmahēśvarābhyāṁ namaḥ. naivēdyaṁ nivēdayāmi.

10. Hear the story

    Read the story together: how Parvati refused every other match and won Shiva through her own penance. Keep a little rice in hand and offer it at the end.

11. Kshama prarthana — ask forgiveness

    With folded hands, ask forgiveness for anything done wrong or left out. This closes every puja.

    āvāhanaṁ na jānāmi na jānāmi visarjanam. pūjāṁ caiva na jānāmi kṣamasva paramēśvara. mantrahīnaṁ kriyāhīnaṁ bhaktihīnaṁ surēśvara. yatpūjitaṁ mayā dēva paripūrṇaṁ tadastu mē.I do not know how to invite you, nor how to send you off, nor even how to worship; forgive me, O Lord. Whatever I have offered — lacking in mantra, in action or in devotion — may it be made whole.

12. Night and visarjan

    Sing or keep vigil if you can. Next morning, after a short aarti, break the fast, and put the clay images into a tub of water, then pour it onto plants.

Fasting

The strict form takes no food or water for a full day and night. Those who are unwell, pregnant, diabetic or on medicine should not fast without water; fruit and water are entirely acceptable.

Good to do

• Keep the fast only as far as your health allows.
• Share the day with friends; the story is about friends too.

Tradition avoids

• Do not push through dizziness; drink water and eat.
• Do not put clay images into a river or lake with plastic or paint.

Parvati chose for herself and did not give way. That is what the women here celebrate.

Traditions vary. Follow your own family's way.

Muhurtha Puja Vidhi