On Hariyali Teej, married women dress in solah shringar (sixteen adornments) and worship Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva together. It falls during Sawan, when everything is green after the monsoon, and the celebration matches that energy: green clothes, green bangles, swings hung from neem trees, and ghevar passed around the neighborhood. For the date and timing, see the Hariyali Teej muhurat article; this guide covers the puja itself.

What is solah shringar?

Solah shringar literally means sixteen adornments. These are the traditional markers of a married woman’s shringar: mehendi on the hands, sindoor in the parting, a bindi, kajal, bangles (traditionally lac or glass, green for Teej), a necklace, earrings, nose ring, toe rings, anklets, armlets, a maang tika, hair flowers, perfume, and the outfit itself. Not every family insists on all sixteen. In practice, most women focus on the ones that matter in their regional tradition: Rajasthani families emphasize lac bangles and mehendi, while UP families might prioritize the nose ring and heavy kajal. The point isn’t a checklist but the spirit of dressing up fully, the way Parvati adorned herself for Shiva.

Puja samagri

  • An idol or picture of Shiva and Parvati, a chowki, and a green cloth
  • Solah shringar items: mehendi, bangles, sindoor, bindi, kajal, toe rings
  • Kacha sutra (raw cotton thread), coconut, betel nut, akshat
  • Ghevar, pheni or other Sawan sweets
  • Flowers, diya, incense, camphor

If you’re abroad and can’t find ghevar easily, any mithai works. Some families in the UK and US order ghevar online from Indian sweet shops a week in advance. The offering matters more than the specific sweet.

Puja steps

  1. Bathe early, then wear green clothes and complete the solah shringar.
  2. Set up the chowki before the Shiva-Parvati idol and light a ghee diya.
  3. Offer mehendi, bangles and shringar items to Goddess Parvati.
  4. Offer ghevar or pheni as bhog, then perform the aarti.
  5. Listen to or read the Teej vrat katha.
  6. Swing with friends and sing Teej songs together.

The swing is not just decoration. In Rajasthan and parts of UP, women tie jhoolas to trees and spend the afternoon singing Teej folk songs. If you’re doing this at home abroad, even a small indoor jhula or a decorated swing in the garden keeps the tradition alive for the kids watching.

The vrat katha, in brief

The katha describes Goddess Parvati undertaking severe penance across 107 births before finally winning Lord Shiva as her husband in the 108th. The fast commemorates that devotion. It’s a story about persistence, not magic. Parvati didn’t get a shortcut; she earned her outcome across lifetimes. That’s the message the katha carries, and it’s worth hearing in full rather than just summarizing.

A note on the fast

The traditional Teej fast is nirjala, meaning no food and no water from sunrise until moonrise. It’s demanding, especially in summer heat. Women who keep it waterless should watch their health closely; pregnant or unwell women can keep a fruit-only fast instead. Many families now follow a phalaahar (fruit-based) version, which is entirely acceptable. The devotion is in the intention, not in pushing your body past its limits.