Pradosh Vrat is a fast through the day of Trayodashi, ending in a Shiva puja in pradosh kaal, the twilight just after sunset. In short: make a sankalp in the morning, fast, bathe again before sunset, offer abhishek, bel patra and a lamp to Shiva at twilight, hear the katha, sing the aarti, and eat a simple meal afterwards.
Each Pradosh, with its weekday name and the pradosh kaal for your city, is listed on the Pradosh Vrat dates page. The twilight window is not written here because it shifts through the year and between cities; the occurrence pages there give it for each date.
Samagri: what to keep ready
- A Shivling, small enough to sit in a plate, or a picture of Shiva-Parvati; a nearby temple's Shivling serves just as well
- A lota of clean water, with a little Ganga jal if you keep it
- Milk for the abhishek; curd, honey, ghee and sugar if you make panchamrit
- Bel patra, ideally in sets of three leaflets, washed and wiped
- White flowers; dhatura or aak flowers, as many families offer
- Chandan (sandalwood paste), akshat, a little bhasma or vibhuti if your family uses it
- A ghee lamp, incense and camphor for the aarti
- Fruit and a simple sweet for the bhog
- A mat to sit on, and the katha book or the katha on your phone
The puja, step by step
- Morning. Bathe, sit facing east or north, take a little water in the right hand and make a sankalp in your own words: that you are keeping the Pradosh fast for Shiva. Some families add the weekday name, Soma or Shani Pradosh. Let the water fall.
- The day. Keep the fast as your household does, with water only or with fruit and milk. Keep the day calm; Pradosh is meant to be a quiet practice.
- A second bath before sunset. Bathe again, or wash face, hands and feet, and change into clean clothes. White or light colours are a common choice.
- Set the place. Clean the puja corner, place the Shivling in a plate so the water can collect, and keep the samagri within reach. Light the lamp as the sun goes down.
- Ganesh and Nandi. Remember Ganesh first with a flower and a little rice. Many families also bow to Nandi, or to a picture of him, before turning to Shiva.
- Abhishek in pradosh kaal. Pour water slowly over the Shivling, then milk, then panchamrit if you have it, then water again. Say "Om Namah Shivaya" quietly as you pour.
- Adornment and offerings. Wipe the Shivling, apply chandan, and offer akshat, the white flowers and the bel patra, smooth side down. Place the dhatura or aak flowers if you use them, and the bhog.
- The katha. Read or hear the Pradosh vrat katha, the story of the widow and Prince Dharmagupta, and the short story of the day's weekday if your family reads it.
- The aarti. Sing Om Jai Shiv Omkara or the aarti your family knows, with camphor or the ghee lamp, and offer a final prayer with folded hands.
- After the puja. Take a little of the abhishek water as charanamrit if that is your custom, share the prasad, and eat a simple sattvic meal. Some people keep the fast until the next morning's sunrise instead.
Checking the time
The window that matters is pradosh kaal: the twilight that begins at sunset on the evening of Trayodashi. The rule in the panchang is that the vrat falls on the day Trayodashi is running during that window, which is why a Pradosh can fall on the day after the one a printed calendar suggests. The Pradosh dates page gives the window for each date, the panchang shows the day's tithi and sunset, and families who like to start the puja in a favourable period can also look at the choghadiya.
Customs families keep
These are customs, not conditions. Your household's own way comes first.
- Haldi, kumkum and tulsi are not offered on the Shivling in most homes, though they are offered to Parvati.
- Bel leaves are usually offered with the smooth side touching the Shivling and the stalk toward you.
- In many homes the abhishek water is not stepped over, and the half-circle parikrama stops at the spout instead of crossing it.
- Many begin the practice of keeping Pradosh on a Soma or Shani Pradosh and keep it for a fixed number of fortnights as a vow.
- On Bhauma Pradosh some families also offer a lamp to Hanuman; on Shani Pradosh, to Shani.
Regional ways
- North India: Pradosh is mostly a household fast, with the katha read at home and a visit to the local Shiva temple at twilight.
- Tamil Nadu and much of South India: Pradosham is a major temple evening. Nandi receives abhishek first, and devotees walk the special somasutra pradakshina, going back and forth around the shrine without crossing the spout.
- Maharashtra and Gujarat: many keep the vrat at home, and Shiva temples are noticeably busier at twilight on a Soma Pradosh.
- In some families the evening ends with a lamp left burning near the Shivling until it goes out on its own.
After the puja
Pradosh comes again in two weeks, and many people keep it as a lasting rhythm. The great annual night of Shiva is Maha Shivratri, and the Monday vow many keep alongside Pradosh is told in the Solah Somvar katha.