Chhath Puja

Chhath is one of the oldest and most disciplined Hindu festivals, celebrated on the sixth day (Shashthi) of the bright fortnight of Kartik month, a few days after Diwali. It is also observed in a smaller form in Chaitra, after Holi. The festival honours the Sun as the source of energy and life, and Chhathi Maiya, who is believed to protect children and bless families. It involves no idols or priests. The devotee, called a Parvaiti, performs everything directly, and the rituals emphasise cleanliness, discipline and community spirit. Both men and women can observe it, though women traditionally lead.

Chhath’s origins go back to the Vedic period, when sages performed Sun worship by fasting and standing in water. Several traditions are linked to it:

Ramayana: After returning to Ayodhya from exile, Lord Rama and Sita are said to have fasted and offered prayers to the Sun God in Kartik Shukla Shashthi.
Mahabharata, Draupadi: Draupadi observed Chhath to seek the return of the Pandavas’ lost kingdom.
Mahabharata, Karna: Karna, the son of Surya, is said to have worshipped the Sun while standing in water and distributed charity to the needy every day.
Puranic tradition: Priyavrata, a king without children, performed a yajna and was blessed with a son. The goddess Shashthi, a form of Prakriti, is associated with child welfare.
Surya temples: Sites such as Deo Sun Temple in Bihar and Konark in Odisha reflect the long tradition of Sun worship in eastern India.

Day 1: Nahay Khay (Bathing and Eating)
The devotee bathes in a river or pond, often the Ganga, and brings home the holy water. The house and kitchen are cleaned thoroughly. The devotee then eats one pure, simple meal, traditionally kaddu-bhaat (bottle gourd curry with rice) and chana dal, cooked in an earthen or bronze vessel over a mango-wood fire, without onion or garlic.

Day 2: Kharna (Evening Fast-Breaking)
The devotee fasts the entire day without water. In the evening, after offering prayers to the Sun and Chhathi Maiya, they eat kheer made of jaggery and rice (rasiao-kheer) with rotis and bananas. This is shared with family and neighbours as prasad. The strict 36-hour waterless fast begins right after this meal.

Day 3: Sandhya Arghya (Evening Offering)
The day is spent preparing prasad, mainly thekua, fruits and sweets. In the afternoon, the family walks to the riverbank, often singing folk songs, carrying the prasad in bamboo baskets. The devotee stands waist-deep in water and offers arghya to the setting sun, with milk and water poured from a sup or lota while the family offers the filled soops. The night often includes folk songs and a lamp-lit gathering at the ghat or home.

Day 4: Usha Arghya (Morning Offering and Parana)
Before dawn, devotees return to the ghat and stand in water facing east. As the sun rises, they offer arghya again with milk, water and prasad. After the prayers, they distribute prasad, seek elders’ blessings and break the fast with ginger and water or a light meal. This is called Parana.