व्रत · Vrat & Vrat Katha
Hariyali Teej Vrat
हरियाली तीज व्रत
The Sawan Teej of green earth — when Parvati was finally united with Shiva
- When
- Shravana Shukla Tritiya — typically late July or August, in the holy month of Sawan
- श्रावण शुक्ल तृतीया
- Deity
- Goddess Parvati (with Lord Shiva)
- देवी पार्वती (शिव सहित)
- Purpose
- The celebration of Parvati's union with Shiva, marital harmony, the joy of the monsoon-greened earth, women's celebration
About this vrat
Hariyali Teej Vrat (हरियाली तीज व्रत) — also called Shravan Teej or Singhara Teej — is observed on the third day (Tritiya) of the bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha) of Shravana (Sawan) month — typically late July or August. The name 'Hariyali' means 'green' or 'verdant', referring to the lush, monsoon-greened earth of Sawan; the festival celebrates Parvati's final reunion with Shiva after her long tapasya, on the very day that — in the Sawan month sacred to Shiva — the sky and earth come fully alive with monsoon greenery.
The vrat is observed across north and central India, particularly in Rajasthan (where the Hariyali Teej procession in Jaipur is among the most elaborate festivals of the city), Haryana, Punjab, and the Hindi-speaking belt. The form is gentler than Hartalika Teej (which is the strictest Teej of the year): a partial fast, an elaborate Parvati-Shiva puja, the wearing of green clothes and bangles, and joyous gatherings of women on swings hung from trees — singing the traditional teej songs of monsoon, marriage, and reunion.
Three Teejs are observed in the Hindu calendar — Hariyali Teej (Sawan Shukla Tritiya), Kajari Teej (Bhadrapada Krishna Tritiya), and Hartalika Teej (Bhadrapada Shukla Tritiya). Hariyali Teej is the first and the most joyful; Kajari is the middle; Hartalika is the strictest. Each celebrates a different facet of Parvati's tapasya and union with Shiva.
Hariyali Teej Vrat — Katha
The legendary story recited as part of the vrat. Read aloud during the morning puja.
The Hariyali Teej Vrat Katha is the celebratory companion to the Hartalika Teej Vrat Katha — both tell the same story (Parvati's tapasya for Shiva and her eventual reunion with him) but emphasise different facets of the same arc.
The katha begins with Parvati's tapasya. After many years of austerity in the forests, after refusing every other suitor, after enduring the heat of summer and the cold of winter, Parvati's tapasya finally moved Lord Shiva. Shiva descended from Mount Kailash to the place where Parvati was performing her austerity. He stood before her in his original form — the matted-haired ascetic, the great yogi, the destroyer who is also the loving husband — and accepted her devotion.
The day of their reunion was the third day of the bright fortnight of Shravana — the Sawan month, sacred to Shiva. The earth itself, freshly soaked by the monsoon rains, was at its greenest. The trees were heavy with fresh leaves; the rivers were full; flowers bloomed everywhere. Parvati's reunion with Shiva took place in this verdant world, and the day was called Hariyali Teej — the Teej of the green earth.
Goddess Parvati, after her marriage to Shiva, ascended with him to Mount Kailash. But she retained a special love for the day of their reunion. She declared: "Every year, on the third day of Shravana Shukla Paksha, women on earth shall observe Hariyali Teej. They shall fast — but not strictly, for this is a day of joy. They shall gather in their gardens and forests; they shall hang swings from the trees; they shall sing songs of monsoon, of marriage, of reunion. Married women shall be honoured by their parents' families with gifts and feasts; new brides shall return to their parents' homes for the Teej celebration. The day is a day of celebration of marriage, of women's friendship, of the joy of being a household with the seasons turning fully green."
The katha emphasises that Hariyali Teej is the joyful counterpart to Hartalika Teej. Where Hartalika commemorates Parvati's austerity (the strictest fast of the year), Hariyali celebrates her reunion with Shiva (the most joyful Teej). The two Teejs together form the cycle of women's devotional life: austerity for the relationship, then celebration of the relationship.
The katha closes with the affirmation that whoever observes Hariyali Teej with full sincerity — wearing green, gathering with other women on swings, singing the traditional teej songs, performing a gentle Parvati-Shiva puja — receives the blessings of marital harmony Parvati received on this very day.
Vrat Vidhi — How to observe
- Pre-dawn bath. Wear green clothes — green sari, green bangles, green bindi if your tradition includes it. Apply mehndi the night before.
- Set up Parvati-Shiva puja. Place a Parvati murti (or composite Parvati-Shiva image) on a clean cloth. Offer green leaves, green flowers, white akshat. Light a ghee diya.
- Recite the Hariyali Teej Vrat Katha. Read the Parvati-Shiva reunion story aloud. Many traditional observers gather with other women for the recitation.
- Partial fast through the day. Unlike the strict Hartalika Teej, the Hariyali Teej fast is gentler — fruits, milk, sabudana, kuttu permitted; one phalahar meal in the evening. Some observers fast nirjala until evening; this is optional.
- Swings on trees. A traditional element of Hariyali Teej is hanging swings from trees in the garden or courtyard. Married women and unmarried girls gather in groups; sing the traditional teej songs of monsoon, marriage, and reunion; swing on the swings; share teej sweets.
- Sindhara — the Teej gift from parents. In Rajasthan and parts of north India, the bride's parents send a 'sindhara' — a basket of clothing, sweets, mehndi, and bangles — to the daughter at her in-laws' home on Hariyali Teej. The receiving of sindhara is itself a part of the celebration.
- Evening aarti. Perform a final aarti before Parvati-Shiva. Take the prasad. The fast is broken with the family meal.
Mantras
ॐ ह्रीं श्रीं पार्वत्यै नमः
Om Hreem Shreem Parvatyai Namah
Salutations to Goddess Parvati.
ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya
Salutations to Shiva.
Udyapan — The concluding ceremony
Hariyali Teej is observed annually rather than as a fixed-count vrat. There is no formal udyapan; the joy of the celebration is itself the vrat's fruit. Devotees who have observed it for many years often mark milestones with: a major teej gathering of women, the gifting of green sarees and bangles to other suhagans, and a pilgrimage to a Shiva-Parvati temple (especially during Sawan).
Frequently asked questions
What is Hariyali Teej Vrat?
Hariyali Teej is observed on the third day of the bright fortnight of Shravana (Sawan) month — typically late July or August. It celebrates Parvati's reunion with Shiva on this day, with the earth freshly green from the monsoon. Women wear green, gather on swings hung from trees, sing teej songs, and perform a gentle Parvati-Shiva puja.
What is the difference between Hariyali Teej and Hartalika Teej?
Both are Teej vrats commemorating Parvati's tapasya for Shiva. Hariyali Teej (Sawan Shukla Tritiya, late July/August) is the joyful celebration of Parvati's reunion with Shiva — gentler fast, green clothes, swings, songs. Hartalika Teej (Bhadrapada Shukla Tritiya, September) is the strictest vrat — 24-hour nirjala fast, sand-Shivling crafting, night-long jagaran. Many women observe both annually.
What is the sindhara tradition?
Sindhara is the Teej gift basket sent by the bride's parents to the daughter at her in-laws' home on Hariyali Teej. It traditionally contains: a green or red saree, bangles, mehndi, sweets (especially ghewar — a Rajasthani disc-shaped sweet), and a small amount of money. The tradition is particularly prominent in Rajasthan, Haryana, and parts of UP.
Why are swings central to Hariyali Teej?
Swings hung from trees in the freshly-greened monsoon gardens are the iconic image of Hariyali Teej. The tradition recalls Parvati and her sakhis (friends) gathering in the forests of Sawan to celebrate her reunion with Shiva; the swing is the symbol of the joyful, easy, restored relationship after long austerity. Women gather in groups to sing teej songs while taking turns on the swings.
Should I observe Hariyali Teej with a strict fast?
No — Hariyali Teej is gentler than Hartalika Teej. A partial fast is traditional: fruits, milk, sabudana, kuttu permitted; one phalahar meal in the evening. The vrat's spirit is celebration, not austerity. Strict observers fast nirjala; most do not.
When is Hariyali Teej 2026?
Hariyali Teej 2026 falls on July 17, 2026 (Friday). Verify the exact date with the Daanyam Panchang — Shravana Shukla Tritiya varies year to year.