Hartalika Teej Vrat Katha

Dadi: "Guddu, do you know why married women fast and pray during Hartalika Teej?"

Guddu: "Is it like when Mummy doesn't eat on some festivals?"

Dadi: "Exactly. But the story behind it is about a princess who did something very brave for love - she refused to marry the wrong person, even though her father had arranged it."

Guddu: "She said no to her own father? That's bold!"

Dadi: "*(smiling)* Very bold. Her name was Parvati, and she would later become the wife of Lord Shiva himself. But first, she had to face a great test."

Guddu: "Tell me!"

Dadi: "Parvati was born as the daughter of Himalaya, the king of mountains. From her very first breath, she had only one desire in her heart - to marry Lord Shiva."

Guddu: "The one with the snake around his neck?"

Dadi: "Yes, beta. But Shiva was deep in meditation, not interested in marriage or the world. Parvati's father was worried. "My daughter keeps pining for someone who doesn't even notice her!""

Guddu: "What did he do?"

Dadi: "He arranged her marriage to Lord Vishnu, the great preserver god. A wonderful match by any measure! But Parvati was devastated."

Guddu: "Because she wanted Shiva?"

Dadi: "Her heart belonged only to Shiva. She couldn't marry someone else, even if he was Vishnu himself! So her best friend came up with a plan."

Guddu: "What plan?"

Dadi: ""Hartalika" means "one who takes away" - her friend "took her away" the night before the wedding. They escaped into the forest together."

Guddu: "She ran away from her own wedding?!"

Dadi: "To a hidden cave, beta. There, Parvati made a Shiva lingam from sand and clay. She began the most intense prayer of her life, fasting completely, not even drinking water."

Guddu: "No food AND no water?"

Dadi: "Through the whole day and night, she prayed and prayed. "Lord Shiva, I want only you. Please accept me.""

Guddu: "Did Shiva hear her?"

Dadi: "Meanwhile, her father was searching everywhere, heartbroken and angry. Vishnu, understanding the situation, gracefully withdrew from the marriage."

Guddu: "That was nice of Vishnu."

Dadi: "He knew true love when he saw it. And Parvati's devotion? It shook the heavens. Shiva, who had been meditating for ages, finally opened his eyes."

Guddu: "Because of her prayers?"

Dadi: "He appeared before her in that forest cave. "Your devotion has reached me," he said. "Ask what you wish.""

Guddu: "She asked to marry him?"

Dadi: "Yes, and Shiva smiled. "You have proven your love is true and pure. I accept you as my wife." When Himalaya finally found his daughter, she was standing beside Lord Shiva himself!"

Guddu: "The wedding happened after all?"

Dadi: "The most grand wedding in all the three worlds! Gods showered flowers. The mountains trembled with joy. Parvati, who had refused the easy path, got exactly what her heart truly wanted."

Guddu: "So Hartalika Teej celebrates this day?"

Dadi: "Yes, beta. Women fast and pray like Parvati did, making sand lingams and staying up through the night. They pray for devoted husbands or for the well-being of the husbands they have."

Guddu: "What's the lesson here, Dadi?"

Dadi: "*(thoughtfully)* Several lessons, beta. First - know what your heart truly wants. Parvati didn't just follow what was arranged for her. She knew her own truth."

Guddu: "Even when it was hard?"

Dadi: "Second - sometimes love requires sacrifice and patience. She had to pray intensely, fast completely, wait faithfully. Real love isn't just a feeling; it's a commitment."

Guddu: "And the third?"

Dadi: "The third is about friendship. Parvati's friend risked everything to help her. "Hartalika" - the friend who takes you away from the wrong path - is a precious gift."

Guddu: "I hope I have friends like that."

Dadi: "Be that kind of friend, beta. And remember: the universe has a way of rewarding those who stay true to their hearts. Parvati didn't get the "safe" choice. She got the RIGHT choice."

Guddu: "I like this story. It's about being brave for what you believe in."

Dadi: "*(hugging him)* Exactly. And every Hartalika Teej, we remember that girl in the forest cave, making her little sand Shiva, refusing to give up on love."