Hariyali Teej Puja Items & Method Of Performing The Pooja

Hariyali Teej is fast approaching. It will be celebrated on the 26th of July this year, as per the Gregorian calendar. According to the Hindu lunar-solar calendar, the festival of Hariyali Teej is celebrated on the Tritiya of the Shukla Paksha in the month of Sawan. The day of Hariyali Teej marks the beginning of monsoon and is considered as a festival of love and prosperity.

The name 'Hariyali' can be translated as greenery, which follows the arrival of monsoon. The greenery and a good monsoon is what ensures a good harvest and hence, increase in wealth and prosperity. Women dress themselves up in beautiful clothes and jewellery. Songs and dances are also performed to raise the joyous mood of the day to a new level.

The legend behind the celebration is the union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. It is also celebrated in honour of Lord Krishna and Radha Maiyya. The women folk perform pooja on the day of Hariyali Teej.

In some places, women also worship the moon on Hariyali Teej, which is the first among the three Teej festivals. Here, we shall tell you how to perform the pooja and the items that are required to do the pooja. Read on for more information.

Items Required To Perform The Hariyali Teej Pooja:

• Wet black mud or sand
• Bilva leaves/bel leaves
• Shami leaves
• Banana leaf
• The fruit and the leaves of the Dhatura plant
• Flowers of the Ankav plant
• Tulsi leaves
• Janaiv
• Nada/thread
• New clothes
• Phulera or an umbrella made out of flowers to place above the Goddess

Items Required To Decorate Goddess Parvati, Also Called Suhag Shringar:

• Mehandi
• Bangles
• Toe rings
• Bindis
• Khol
• Sindoor
• Kumkum
• Comb
• Mahaur
• Suhag Puda or the traditional make up kit for weddings
• Shree Phal
• Kalash
• Abir
• Sandalwood
• Oil or Ghee
• Camphor
• Curd
• Sugar
• Honey
• Milk
• Panchamrit

How To Do The Pooja:

Sankalp

Chant the following mantra and take a vow to perform the pooja.

'उमामहेश्वरसायुज्य सिद्धये हरितालिका व्रतमहं करिष्ये'

'Umamaheshvarasayujya Siddhaye Haritalika Vratmaham Karishye'

Making The Statue And The Start Of The Pooja

The Hariyali Teej pooja is performed during the evening time. It is known as Pradosh, which is the time when the day and night meet. During this time, make sure that you clean yourself and wear good and clean clothes.

Next, you need to make the statues of Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha and Goddess Parvati. Traditionally, it is done in gold. But you may make them out of the black mud or sand using your own hands.

• Decorate the items for the Suhag Shringar and offer it to Goddess Parvati.
• Now, offer the clothes to Lord Shiva.
• You can now donate the clothes and the Suhag Shringar to a Brahmin.
• Then, read or listen to the story of Hariyali Teej with utmost devotion.
• After the story, perform aarti of Lord Ganesha. Then, the aarti of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati must be done.
• Circumambulate the deities and pray to them whole-heartedly.
• Spend the night in worship and holy thoughts. You must stay awake for the night.
• The next morning, perform a simple pooja for the deities and apply sindoor to the statue of Goddess Parvati.
• Offer cucumber and Halwa as bhog to the deities. You can now break your fast by consuming the cucumber.
• Once all this is done, collect everything and float it away in a holy river or in any water body.

This pooja is done for the long life of the husband. Unmarried women can also perform this pooja to be blessed with a husband of their choice.