Shiva & Parvati
Pradosh Vrat
Twilight of the thirteenth — when Shiva dances between Nandi's horns, and asking is easy.
All dates (+25)
Tithi: Trayodashi of both fortnights, at twilight
In the simplest words
Twice a month, at the meeting of day and night, Shiva dances — and a small twilight fast with abhishek catches his happiest hour.
The story & purpose
Pradosh is a time more than a day: the three-quarters hour bracketing sunset on trayodashi, when tradition holds Shiva is in his most benevolent mood — dancing on Kailash while the devas watch, all requests granted between the twilight's two lights. The vrat is kept twice a month, in both fortnights.
Weekday flavours are counted: Som Pradosh (Monday) for peace, Bhauma (Tuesday) for health, Shani Pradosh (Saturday) most sought of all. The samudra manthan memory anchors it — the devas fasted this trayodashi, and Shiva drank the poison at sandhya.
What is done
Sandhya abhishek
The linga bathed at twilight — water, milk, bel — the vrat's essential act.
Fast till twilight
A day's fast opened after the pradosh puja.
Pradosh stotra & jaap
Om Namah Shivaya through the twilight — the hour itself is the offering.
Best timings
Everything within pradosh kala — the twilight window that opens at sunset and runs an hour and a half to two hours; your panchang prints the exact span for your city, and Tamil temples begin pradosham about ninety minutes before sunset.
Exact muhurat varies by city and tradition — for the precise hour, consult a local panchang for your location.
Worth knowing
Pradosh and Shivratri pair as Shiva's two monthly appointments — twilight and midnight.
Tamil tradition bathes Nandi too at pradosham — the listener honoured with the Lord.
The dates listed run through 2027; your panchang's paksha labels (Krishna/Shukla) alternate through them.