Teej kahile ho? When is Teej 2026?

Teej follows the lunar calendar and usually falls between late August and September, in the Nepali month of Bhadra. The exact date is confirmed each year from the Nepal government calendar.

Why do women wear red on Teej?

Red is the colour of marriage and good fortune in Nepali Hindu tradition. Women wear red saris with green or red pote and bangles on the day of Teej.

What is dar khane din?

It is the day before the Teej fast, when women gather for a rich feast called dar and sing and dance late into the night.

Do you have to fast without water on Teej?

No. Some women keep a fast without food or water; many keep a lighter fast or none. It is a personal choice, and health comes first.

Culture · Haritalika Teej · Hartalika Teej

What is Teej?

तीज

Teej is the women's festival of late summer: a feast the night before, a day of fasting, red saris, songs and dancing, and prayers at Shiva temples.

What Teej is

Teej, or Haritalika Teej, is a festival kept mainly by Hindu women. It remembers the goddess Parvati, who fasted and prayed until Shiva accepted her as his wife. Married women fast for their husband's long life and the wellbeing of their family; unmarried women often fast in the hope of a good partner.

For many women Teej is also a day for themselves: a day with sisters, friends and women from the maiti, the family home they grew up in.

Dar: the feast the night before

The day before the fast is the dar khane din, the day of eating dar. Women gather, often at their maiti, for a rich meal and stay up singing and dancing late into the night.

The day of Teej

On the main day, many women keep a strict fast, some without food or water until the next morning, and others a lighter one. How strictly someone fasts is a personal choice, and many women adjust it for their health.

Women dress in red, with green or red glass bead necklaces called pote and bangles, and visit Shiva temples to pray. In Kathmandu, Pashupatinath fills with women in red. Teej songs are sung and danced in groups; many of them speak frankly about women's lives, hardships and, more recently, the news of the year.

Rishi Panchami

Two days after Teej, Rishi Panchami closes the festival. Women bathe, traditionally with the leaves of the datiwan plant, and worship the seven sages, the sapta rishi.

In the USA, Teej programmes usually fall on the nearest weekend, with a shared feast, a stage for songs and dancing, and a puja for those who want one.

Common questions

Teej kahile ho? When is Teej 2026?: Teej follows the lunar calendar and usually falls between late August and September, in the Nepali month of Bhadra. The exact date is confirmed each year from the Nepal government calendar.
Why do women wear red on Teej?: Red is the colour of marriage and good fortune in Nepali Hindu tradition. Women wear red saris with green or red pote and bangles on the day of Teej.
What is dar khane din?: It is the day before the Teej fast, when women gather for a rich feast called dar and sing and dance late into the night.
Do you have to fast without water on Teej?: No. Some women keep a fast without food or water; many keep a lighter fast or none. It is a personal choice, and health comes first.