Festival guide
Teej — The Women's Festival of Red
Teej (Hartalika Teej) is Nepal's great women's festival — a wave of red that sweeps through every town. Married and unmarried women dress in their wedding-red saris and green glass bangles, gather to sing and dance, and keep a day-long fast (many without even water) for the long life of their husbands, or for a good future partner. The night before, families share a rich feast called dar. The spiritual centre is Pashupatinath in Kathmandu, where thousands of women queue to worship Shiva. It is loud, joyful, devotional and unmistakably female-led.
- Date:
- Late August to mid-September (varies) (Bhadra Shukla Tritiya (BS calendar))
- Location:
- Nationwide; Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu, and Shiva temples everywhere
History and meaning
Teej honours the goddess Parvati's devotion and her reunion with Shiva. Hartalika refers to the legend in which Parvati's friend whisks her away (harat) to the forest so she can worship Shiva and avoid an unwanted marriage. Women fast and pray to Parvati for marital happiness and the well-being of their husbands; unmarried women pray for a good husband. It is, at its heart, a festival of female solidarity and devotion.
Dar — the feast before the fast
The festival opens with dar khane din, when women gather — often at the maternal home — for a lavish meal of rich, oily and sweet foods before the fast begins at midnight. It's a warm, social night of eating, singing and catching up among female relatives and friends. The contrast with the next day's strict fast is part of Teej's rhythm.
The fast and the red saris
On the main day, women keep a nirjala fast — many take no food or water at all — while dressed in red and green: wedding saris, red tika, henna, and green pote (glass-bead necklaces) and bangles that signify marriage. They gather at temples and public spaces to sing Teej songs (often about women's lives and hardships) and dance. The sea of red moving through the streets is the festival's defining image.
Pashupatinath on Teej
Pashupatinath becomes the epicentre: tens of thousands of fasting women queue, sometimes for hours, to offer worship at the Shiva temple. The riverbanks and surrounding lanes fill with red. If you visit, expect dense crowds and long lines; go early, dress modestly, and be respectful — this is intense personal devotion, not a show.
Etiquette for visitors
Teej is welcoming but female-centred. Men, and tourists generally, should observe rather than insert themselves into the dancing. Always ask before photographing women up close — many are happy to pose, but the fast and worship are personal. Modest dress is important at Pashupatinath. A respectful 'Happy Teej!' is always well received.
What to say
Greet women celebrating with 'Happy Teej!'. To compliment the saris: 'sari dherai ramro chha!' ('the sari is very beautiful!'). Before a close-up photo: ask 'tasbir khichna milcha?' ('may I take a photo?').
Phrases for this festival
The Nepali words to carry into the crowd, the temple, and the photo permission moment.
Photo: Unsplash
तीजको शुभकामना
Happy Teej
Tījko shubhakāmnā
Photo: Unsplash
यो कुन चाड हो?
What festival is this?
Yo kun chāḍ ho?
के म फोटो खिच्न सक्छु?
May I take a photo?
Ke ma photo khichna sakchhu?
मैले कहाँ उभिने?
Where should I stand?
Maile kahā̱ ubhine?
के यहाँ सुरक्षित छ?
Is it safe here?
Ke yahā̱ surakṣit chha?
Photo: Unsplash
यो मिठो छ
This is delicious
Yo miṭho chha
Frequently asked questions
When is Teej in 2026?
Hartalika Teej is Monday, September 14, 2026 (Dar Khane Din is the evening before, September 13). It falls on the third day of the bright fortnight of Bhadra, which lands later than usual in 2026 because of the Adhik Maas (extra lunar month) — confirm the exact date with Hamro Patro.
Can men or tourists take part in Teej?
Teej is a women's festival. Visitors of any gender are welcome to watch the singing and dancing and to greet people, but should observe respectfully rather than join the women's dances, and always ask before close-up photos.
Why is everyone wearing red?
Red is the colour of marriage and auspiciousness in Nepal. Women wear their wedding-red saris, red tika and green marital bangles for Teej, creating the festival's signature wave of red.
Where is the best place to see Teej?
Pashupatinath in Kathmandu is the spiritual centre, with vast crowds of fasting women — go early and dress modestly. Public squares and temples in any town also fill with red-clad singing and dancing.
Related festivals and culture
Maha Shivaratri — The Great Night of Shiva
On the great night of Shiva, Pashupatinath becomes the centre of the Hindu world — hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, naked ash-smeared sadhus, all-night vigils, bonfires and the legal haze of ganja.
Read the guideKrishna Janmashtami — The God's Midnight Birth
The birth of Krishna at midnight in Bhadra, observed with fasting, candle-lit vigils, and music at Patan's Krishna Mandir — the most important Krishna temple in Nepal.
Read the guideVisiting Nepali Temples: Rules, Respect, and Phrases
How to visit Hindu and Buddhist temples in Nepal — shoes, clothing, photography, the clockwise rule, and the Nepali phrases that show respect.
Read the culture guidePhotographing People in Nepal: Permission, Ethics, Money
When to ask before photographing in Nepal, how to read a refusal, the 'pay for the photo' scam, and the small phrases that make portrait work warmer.
Read the culture guide