Hariyali Teej 2026 Date – 15 August

What Hariyali Teej celebrates

Hariyali Teej falls on Tritiya, the third lunar day of the bright fortnight of Shravana, when the monsoon has turned the land green – hariyali means greenery. It celebrates the day Shiva accepted Parvati as his wife after her long years of penance; according to tradition she was born 108 times before winning him. Women pray to Parvati, as Teej Mata, for a happy married life.

Swings, songs and mehendi

Swings (jhulas) decorated with flowers are hung from trees and courtyards, and women take turns on them while singing traditional Teej and Sawan songs. Green clothes, green bangles and intricate mehendi are customary. Many women keep a fast during the day and worship Parvati in the evening, though the fast is generally less strict than on Hartalika Teej.

Sindhara: gifts from the parents' home

Newly married women traditionally spend Teej at their parents' home, or receive a sindhara from them – a gift basket of new clothes, bangles, mehendi, cosmetics and sweets, especially ghevar, a honeycomb-like disc of fried batter soaked in syrup that is the signature Teej sweet. This is why the day is also called Sindhara Teej. Ghevar, feni and malpua appear in sweet shops across Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi in the weeks before.

Where it is celebrated

• Rajasthan – Jaipur holds a two-day Teej procession, with an idol of Teej Mata carried through the old city in a decorated palanquin with elephants, camels and folk performers.
• Haryana – a state holiday, with fairs, swings and games in villages.
• Uttar Pradesh – Vrindavan and Mathura celebrate with Jhulan, swinging Radha-Krishna idols on golden swings.
• Punjab – Teeyan, a festival in which women gather to dance giddha through the monsoon.
• Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi – fairs, swings and family gatherings.

Hariyali Teej puja samagri (what you need)

• Picture or clay idols of Shiva and Parvati
• Green cloth or chunri for Parvati
• Suhaag items – bangles, sindoor, bindi, mehendi
• Bel leaves and flowers
• Chandan, roli and akshat
• Ghevar or other sweets
• Fruit
• Diya and incense

How to do Hariyali Teej puja, step by step

1. Bathe, apply mehendi and wear green clothes and bangles.
2. Place Shiva and Parvati on a clean cloth and light a diya.
3. Offer bel leaves to Shiva and a green chunri and suhaag items to Parvati.
4. Offer flowers, chandan, akshat, sweets and fruit.
5. Listen to the Teej katha and sing Teej songs.
6. Perform aarti, then share the prasad and enjoy the swings with family and friends.