Parvati was united with Shiva and was married to him with her father's blessing. Since then, the day is referred to as as Parvati's female () friend had to abduct () her in order for the goddess to achieve her goal of marrying Shiva. Accordingly, is seen as a major festival and is celebrated on the third day of the bright half of the Indian/North Nepali Lunar month of Bhadrapud. The festival women feasting during the evening of , praying to Parvati and Shiva, remembering their wedding and staying up all night listening to prayers. The fast (also called nishivasar nirjala vrat) commences during the evening of and is broken the next day after a full day's observance which involves women not even drinking water. The focus is on praying to Parvati whom Shiva desired should be worshipped under the name Hartalika. The main areas of celebration are Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand,. In Rajasthan, an idol of Parvati is taken out in procession in the streets accompanied by singing, and music. has also spread to parts of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh . In Maharashtra Hartalika teej also known as Hartalika tritiya vrat, which is celebrated in similar manner like northern India. It is observed by married women for the welfare, health, and long life of their husbands and for a happy married life and unmarried girls for being blessed with a good husband. It is Nirjala Vrat, they fast for one and half day. Women do Sola shrungar, apply mehendi, wear new red or green sari observe fast, make idol of shiva, gauri, sakhi and ganesh with clay or river sand, read katha. They do bhajan sangeet pooja in night as well and open vrat on the second day. It is very auspicious vrat for women in India to worship goddess Parvati in the form of Gouri along with shiva parivar. Elsewhere in India (also called Akshaya Tritiya) falls on the third day after full moon in the month of Vaisakha. It is an auspicious day of the birthday of Parasurama, the sixth incarnation of Vishnu. On this day Veda Vyas and Ganesha began to write the Mahabharata. Jains celebrate this day to commemorate Tirthankara Rishabha's ending of his fast by consuming sugarcane juice poured into his cupped hands. According to Gagne (2013), is an important festival in the Hindu calendar. of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh is celebrated in