Teej 2025 in Nepal will be celebrated over three days, with the main day, Haritalika Teej, falling on Tuesday, August 26, 2025 (Bhadra 10, 2082 B.S.). This is the most important day of the festival, when women observe a day-long fast and offer prayers to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati for marital happiness and family well-being. The celebrations begin the day before with Dar Khane Din (feast day) on Monday, August 25, and conclude with Rishi Panchami on Thursday, August 28, a day dedicated to purification rituals. Teej 2025 will be marked as a national holiday for women in Nepal, and major temples, especially Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, will see large gatherings of devotees participating in vibrant rituals, prayers, singing, and dancing.

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Teej celebrates the sacred love story of Goddess Parvati’s penance and union with Lord Shiva. According to legend, Parvati endured severe austerities and rituals across multiple lifetimes to attain Shiva’s hand in marriage. Haritalika Teej reflects her devotion, with the name symbolizing her “abduction” by friends (Harat + Aalika) to escape an unwanted marriage and pursue devotion to Shiva

The festival celebrates marital happiness, fertility, and family well-being: married women fast and pray for their husbands' long life and strength, while unmarried girls fast in hopes of finding a devoted partner like Shiva As the festival coincides with the monsoon, especially Hariyali Teej, it also symbolizes nature’s renewal, prosperity, and greenery.

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Day 1 – Dar Khane Din

Women gather at their parental homes for a feast (Dar) the evening before fasting. Traditional foods include sel rot, puri, sweets, sometimes even non-vegetarian dishes in certain communities

Day 2 – Haritalika Teej (Main Vrat Day)

On 26 August, women observe a nirjala fast (without food or water), dress in red or green, apply mehendi (henna), and pray at Shiva-Parvati temples—particularly Pashupatinath Temple  in Kathmandu, Guhyeshwari Temple, and others across Nepal. Some women opt for a Phalahar fast (allowing fruits/liquids), depending on health conditions.

Women sing devotional Sangini songs, perform the Sangini folk dance with kalash (pots) or diyos (lamps), and bless each other with henna and gifts—the symbolic unity of female friends and community

Day 3 – Rishi Panchami

On 28 August, women perform Rishi Panchami puja, a purification ritual seeking forgiveness for past impurities and sins. Bathing with red mud and ritual offerings mark this spiritually cleansing finale

Teej Festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm across Nepal, from bustling cities to rural villages, wherever Hindu communities reside. The heart of the celebration is in Kathmandu, especially at the sacred Pashupatinath Temple, where tens of thousands of women gather in vibrant red attire to offer prayers to Lord Shiva. Other major cities such as Pokhara (known as the starting point for popular treks like Annapurna Base Camp Trek, Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek, Mardi Himal Trek & Annapurna Circuit Trek) Biratnagar, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, and Janakpur also witness grand processions, cultural programs, and temple gatherings. In rural areas, the festival retains its traditional charm, with women assembling at local temples, homes, and community spaces to sing folk songs and perform age-old rituals. Beyond Nepal, Teej is also celebrated by Nepali diaspora communities around the world, keeping the cultural spirit alive among families living abroad.

In Cities like Kathmandu and Pokhara:

• Women gather at temples, homes, and community halls
• Organized Teej programs with celebrity singers and dancers
• Fashion parades, flash mobs, and awareness rallies
• Pashupatinath Temple sees tens of thousands of women queuing up for darshan

In Rural Areas:

• Teej retains a more traditional charm
• Local temples become the focal point of gatherings
• Folk songs are sung late into the night
• Villagers dance in groups and observe age-old customs

Pashupatinath — Nepal’s most important Shiva temple and a UNESCO World Heritage site on the banks of the Bagmati River — is the spiritual heart of Teej celebrations in Kathmandu. On Haritalika Teej (the main fasting day) the temple and its riverside ghats transform into a dramatic sea of red: thousands of women in scarlet saris, green pote and shining bangles stream in before dawn to perform puja, offer bilva (Bel) leaves, light oil lamps and sing devotional bhajans. The smell of incense and fresh flowers mixes with the steady chant of mantras and the rhythmic clapping and singing of women’s groups, creating an atmosphere that is at once intensely devotional and joyously communal.

At Pashupatinath Temple the rituals take on a public, highly visible form. Women arriving in groups will queue for darshan of the Shiva linga or join organized puja areas where priests guide the rites — offering fruits, flowers, milk and belpatra, and conducting aarti. Many perform circumambulation around small shrines and lay out offerings on the steps by the Bagmati. The ghats also host spontaneous circles of singing and dancing where traditional Teej songs are passed down and new numbers are embraced; these gatherings often last late into the night on the eve of the fast (Dar Khane Din) and resume the following morning after temple rituals. Sadhus and holy men are commonly seen on the temple grounds during Teej, adding to the sacred pageant.

For visitors and photographers there are a few important practical and respectful guidelines. Pashupatinath is primarily a living Hindu pilgrimage site — while non-Hindu visitors are welcome to observe, they should be mindful of access rules (certain inner sanctum areas may be restricted), follow signposted viewing points, and avoid entering spaces reserved for ritual activity. The eastern bank of the Bagmati and several riverside terraces provide excellent vantage points to witness the processions and pujas without disrupting worshippers. Dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered), ask permission before photographing anyone (especially women in the middle of ritual acts), and never interrupt a puja or touch offerings. Large bags, food, and alcohol are inappropriate in and around the sacred precincts during Teej.

Logistics and safety on Teej: expect very large crowds, traffic congestion and partial road closures around the temple area, so plan to arrive early (pre-dawn is best for intimate ritual moments) or late afternoon to avoid the busiest hours. Public transport and taxis are available but sometimes delayed; many visitors prefer to walk from nearby neighborhoods.

Pashupatinath authorities and local police deploy crowd-control measures and additional temporary facilities during major festivals, but personal vigilance is essential — keep valuables secure, travel in groups, and designate a clear meeting spot if you come with others.

Finally, for anyone who wishes to participate more deeply, there are formal Teej programs and cultural events organized by local women’s groups, temples and NGOs around Pashupatinath — these sometimes include staged bhajan performances, communal feasts (for Dar Khane Din) and information stalls about the festival’s significance. Whether you go to Pashupatinath as a pilgrim or a respectful observer, experiencing Teej here is witnessing the festival at its most concentrated: devotional, visual, communal and profoundly Nepali.