Kedara Gowri Vratam is observed on Diwali Amavasya. In 2026, it falls on either November 8 or November 9 depending on the almanac. You should finalize the date based on your family’s specific panchangam or vratam book. The toram with 21 knots is the central ritual item.
In Diwali week, one corner of a Telugu home is busy with lamps and sweets, while in another a mother or mother-in-law sits rolling turmeric-coated thread, tying knots and turning the pages of a small vratam book. That is Kedara Gowri Vratam, a women’s observance that many in Telangana call Kedara Nomu. This post covers which day to observe it in 2026, how to make the toram, and the order in which the vratam is done at home.
For the full map of the five-day festival, read our Deepavali 2026 complete guide.
On Which Date Should Kedara Gowri Vratam be Performed in 2026
- Dates: 8 November and 9 November 2026 (Amavasya spans both days).
- Decision: Follow the date mentioned in your family’s regular almanac.
- Primary Deity: Ardhanareeshwara (The combined form of Shiva and Parvati).
- Duration: For those observing a 21-day vow, it began on October 19; this is the concluding day.
In 2026 the panchangams differ by one day for Kedara Gowri Vratam. Drik Panchang and telugupanchangam.co.in show 8 November, while HinduPad shows 9 November. The background is that the Amavasya tithi runs from 11:27 AM on 8 November to 12:31 PM on 9 November. We are not ruling on which is correct. The date given by the panchangam or vratam book your family has followed for years is your date. If in doubt, ask the elders or the local temple priest.
Those who choose the 8th will also have Lakshmi Puja that evening. With two major pujas on one day, many homes finish the vratam by afternoon, rest a little and then prepare for the evening puja. Share the work among family members. Timings for other cities are in the series pillar guide.
What Is Kedara Gowri Vratam and How Did It Get Its Name
Kedara Gowri Vratam is a women’s vratam in which Shiva and Parvati are worshipped together. “Kedara” refers to Kedareshwara, the form of Shiva worshipped at Kedarnath in the Himalayas, and “Gowri” is Goddess Parvati. It is also called Kedareshwara Vratam.
Telugu homes use both words, vratam and nomu; nomu is mostly used for women’s observances passed down through generations in a family. There is also an official record of how old this practice is in Telugu life. Government records made during the 1961 census of the Warangal region mention the Kedara vratam and Gowramma puja.
What the Vratam Story of Ardhanareeshwara Tells Us
The heart of the Kedara Gowri story is the same in every version. Goddess Parvati observed this vratam and won half of Shiva’s body, and so the Ardhanareeshwara form came into being. Different vratam books tell it in three main forms.
- Sage Bhringi’s Story: Sage Bhringi circumambulates only Lord Shiva, ignoring Parvati. Deeply hurt, Parvati performs the Kedareshwara Vratam and successfully merges into Shiva’s body.
- Sage Gautama: In another version, Goddess Parvati learns about this powerful vratam through Sage Gautama.
- Punyavati and Bhagyavati: A popular folk narrative tells the story of two princesses, Punyavati and Bhagyavati, who attain great wealth and prosperity by observing this vow.
Families read the story printed in the vratam book they use. There is no question of one version being right and another wrong; they are different tellings of one idea.
Many see the Ardhanareeshwara form as a symbol of unity between husband and wife and of the equal place of woman and man. Parvati’s hurt in the Bhringi story was exactly that, being set aside while Shiva alone was worshipped, and Ardhanareeshwara is the answer to that hurt. Keeping this in mind, the vratam gains more meaning when husbands and children join in too.
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The versions of the story differ, but the core stays the same: Parvati is half of Shiva.
How to Make the Toram and How Many Knots to Tie
The most important item in Kedara Gowri Vratam is the toram, a sacred band made of turmeric-coated thread with knots tied in it. In most families, twenty-one knots are tied on a thread of twenty-one strands.
- Take a turmeric-coated thread and place it in the puja area.
- Tie knots in the thread according to your vratam book or family tradition.
- In most traditions, 21 knots are tied on a thread made of 21 strands.
- After the puja, tie the toram on the hand; which hand depends on your family custom.
Take white cotton thread, mix turmeric with a few drops of water in a bowl, dip the thread in the paste and let it dry. Twenty-one strands about a foot long, enough to go twice around the wrist, are sufficient. Each knot is dabbed with kumkum. Some homes recite a divine name once with every knot, which turns the making of the toram into a small meditation.
The number of knots, whether the toram goes on the right or left hand, and whether some wear it around the neck all vary between families. Your vratam book or the elders at home are your guide. If the thread breaks or a knot goes wrong during the vratam, do not panic; simply tie it again calmly.
Those observing the twenty-one-day vratam begin before Diwali, on 19 October in 2026, adding one knot each day so that the toram has twenty-one knots by Amavasya. Those observing it for a single day prepare the thread and tie all the knots on Amavasya itself.
In What Order Is the Vratam Done at Home
At home, Kedara Gowri Vratam usually follows five stages: setting up the mandapam, Ganapati puja, toram puja, the story and wearing the toram. It begins with a turmeric Gowramma placed on a kalasham.
| Puja Step | Procedure |
|---|---|
| Mandapam Setup | Spread rice, place a Kalasham (pot), and keep the turmeric Gauramma on it. |
| Ganapati Puja | Worship Lord Vinayaka first to ensure the vratam is completed without obstacles. |
| Toram Puja | Place the knotted thread near the Kalasham and worship it with kumkum and flowers. |
| Story Reading | Read or listen to the Kedareshwara Vratam story. |
| Wearing Toram | After offering Naivedyam, tie the sacred thread to your hand. |
For the mandapam, fill a plate with rice on a low stool and set a pot of water in the middle. Place mango leaves on the pot and the turmeric Gowramma on top. To make her, mix three or four spoons of turmeric with a little water into a stiff dough, press it into a small cone and add a dot of kumkum. Keep a Shiva Linga or a picture of Shiva and Parvati beside it if you have one.
When two or three women observe together, one reads the story while the others hold akshatalu (rice mixed with turmeric) and listen, then place the grains on their heads as a blessing. In some colonies neighbours observe the vratam together.
Naivedyam usually includes Chalimidi, Vadapappu and Panakam with bananas and coconut; the recipes are in Part 9. Soak the rice for Chalimidi and the moong dal for Vadapappu the night before.
Whether to fast fully or eat once depends on family custom. Anyone with a health condition, those on medication and pregnant women can adapt the rules to their capacity. As elders themselves say, devotion is not about punishing the body.
What Happens After the Vratam
After the vratam, many homes give tambulam to married women: turmeric, kumkum, betel leaves and nuts, fruits and a blouse piece, and receive their blessings in return.
How long to keep the toram and where to leave it afterwards is also family custom. Many place it in flowing water or at the foot of a tree after a few days rather than throwing it away. The water from the kalasham is poured on plants the next day, and the rice is used for cooking.
Whether a newly married woman begins the vratam at her parents’ home or her in-laws’, and for how many years she continues, are matters the two families decide together. Some families place a kalasham and some do not. All of these variations are valid.
Those who cannot observe it this year because of illness or travel can still mark the day by reading or listening to the vratam story, as the elders advise.
Your family’s vratam book and the word of your elders are the real guide to this vratam.
One Thing to Do Today
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Take out your family’s vratam book today, check which date it gives and how many knots it asks for, and coat a handful of cotton thread with turmeric so it can dry.
In the Next Part
Diwali brings to mind not only Lakshmi Puja but also the slaying of Narakasura. Did Satyabhama or Krishna really kill Narakasura, and when and how should the Abhyanga Snanam be done on Naraka Chaturdashi? The next part answers these questions.
Frequently asked questions
Which deity is worshipped in Kedara Gowri Vratam?
The vratam is dedicated to the Ardhanareeshwara form of Shiva and Parvati. Puranas state that Goddess Parvati attained half of Shiva's body by performing this vow.
Is the vratam on November 8 or 9 in 2026?
Amavasya tithi spans across both November 8 and November 9. Therefore, you must decide the date based on your family's specific almanac.
How many knots should be tied on the toram?
It depends on family tradition and the vratam book. Some tie 21 knots on 21 strands, while others tie 19 knots on 21 strands.
Should the vratam be done for one day only?
Some observe it as a 21-day vow (starting October 19). However, most households perform it as a single-day ritual on Diwali Amavasya.
What is the main physical idol used in this puja?
The primary worship involves an idol of Goddess Gowri (Gauramma) made of turmeric paste, placed over a Kalasham, along with the knotted sacred thread.
Sources
Drik Panchang – Kedar Gauri Vrat
Information checked: 21 October 2026. Dates and times follow Drik Panchang; final check on 5 November.
