Pradosh Vrat — vrat katha & puja vidhi
Pradosh Vrat is a twice-monthly Shiva observance on Trayodashi, the 13th lunar day of each fortnight. The worship is done at dusk (pradosh kaal), the evening hours after sunset, after a day of fasting. When it falls on a Monday it is called Soma Pradosh, on a Tuesday Bhauma Pradosh, and on a Saturday Shani Pradosh.
Updated Thursday, 29 October 2026
Next date
The next Pradosh Vrat (Krishna paksha) is on Friday, 6 November 2026 (in 8 days). The pradosh puja time is 17:33 – 20:10. All times are for New Delhi; your city can differ by a few minutes.
How we work it out
- How the date is found — Our Panchang engine finds the tithi from the real Sun and Moon and applies the vrat’s classical rule (the tithi at sunrise, at pradosh, at moonrise or at midnight) against New Delhi’s sunrise and sunset. These dates are checked against Drik Panchang’s New Delhi calendar.
Pradosh Vrat (Krishna paksha) — timings (New Delhi)
- Date: Friday, 6 November 2026
- Trayodashi tithi: 10:31 – 10:48 (7 November 2026)
- Pradosh puja time: 17:33 – 20:10
From sunset, for the first fifth of the night, while Trayodashi lasts.
Upcoming dates
- Friday, 6 November 2026: Pradosh Vrat (Krishna paksha)
in 8 days - Sunday, 22 November 2026: Pradosh Vrat (Shukla paksha)
in 24 days - Sunday, 6 December 2026: Pradosh Vrat (Krishna paksha)
in 38 days - Monday, 21 December 2026: Soma Pradosh (Shukla paksha)
in 53 days
A gentle note
A vrat is about devotion, not perfection. If you miss a step, cannot find an item or need to eat, that is fine — do what you can with a sincere heart. Anyone unwell, pregnant, elderly or on regular medicines should keep a lighter fast or skip it, and check with a doctor. BornClock does not sell pujas or any items.
What Pradosh is
“Pradosha” refers to the early part of the night — evening twilight. It is kept on both Trayodashis of the month, Shukla and Krishna, in worship of Shiva. Maha Pradosha is the one that falls on or just before Maha Shivaratri.
Source: Wikipedia — Pradosha · Drik Panchang — Pradosh dates and rule
The katha
The Skanda Purana tells of King Satyaratha of Vidarbha, killed in battle; his queen dies in the forest soon after giving birth, and the baby is raised by a Brahmin woman named Uma. Sage Shandilya explains that the family’s hardship came from lapses in worship in a past life, and teaches the Pradosh vow, which restores their fortune.
A legend of Ujjain tells of a siege on a Saturday Trayodashi (Shani Pradosh): a boy named Shrikhar and a priest named Vridhi pray to Shiva by the Kshipra river, Shiva appears as a pillar of light, the invaders are defeated, and Shiva remains there as the self-manifested Mahakaleshwar lingam.
Source: Wikipedia — Pradosha
What you need
- Water (and other items) for abhisheka of the Shiva lingam
- Sandalwood paste and bel (bilva) leaves
- Fragrance, a lamp and a food offering (naivedya)
- Rudraksha and vibhuti (sacred ash), if you use them
Source: Wikipedia — Pradosha
Puja vidhi — simple steps
- Keep a fast through the day.
- Bathe about an hour before sunset.
- In the pradosh time, worship Shiva with Parvati, Ganesha, Kartikeya and Nandi — abhisheka, sandal paste, bel leaves, fragrance, lamp and naivedya.
- After the worship, read or listen to the Pradosh katha.
- Some keep a night vigil after the worship.
Source: Wikipedia — Pradosha
When it falls and what time to keep
The vrat day is the one on which Trayodashi prevails after sunset (pradosh kaal), so it can fall on Dwadashi by the calendar. Drik Panchang treats the time when Trayodashi and the pradosh window overlap as the best time for the Shiva puja; this page shows that window for New Delhi (from sunset, for the first fifth of the night). Wikipedia describes a wider custom of about 1½ hours either side of sunset.
Source: BornClock festival calendar (dates checked against Drik Panchang, New Delhi) · Drik Panchang — Pradosh dates and rule · Wikipedia — Pradosha
Traditions differ
In South Indian Shiva temples Nandi is worshipped on Pradosham, and a festival image of Shiva and Parvati seated on Nandi is taken in procession around the temple. In Ujjain the Shani Pradosh legend is tied to the Mahakaleshwar temple.
Source: Wikipedia — Pradosha
What these terms mean
Tap a term for a plain-language explanation.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Pradosha
- Drik Panchang — Pradosh dates and rule
- BornClock festival calendar (dates checked against Drik Panchang, New Delhi)
The katha and vidhi above are paraphrased in plain language from the sources listed; customs vary by family and region — your family tradition comes first.