| Chhath Puja | |
|---|---|
 Devotees gathered at a pond to worship the sun godSurya and his sisterChhathi Maiya inJanakpurdham,Madhesh Province,Nepal (2008) | |
| Also called |
|
| Observed by | Indians andNepaleseTharus |
| Type | Cultural, historical, religious |
| Significance | Veneration of the sun godSurya and his sisterChhathi Maiya |
| Date | 25 October – 28 October (2025) |
| Duration | 4 days |
| Frequency | Annual |
Chhath is an ancientIndo-NepaleseHindu festival, native toeastern India and southernNepal.[1] It is celebrated[2] especially in the Indian states ofBihar,Jharkhand,West Bengal andPurvanchal;[3][4] andKoshi,Gandaki,Bagmati,Lumbini, andMadhesh provinces of Nepal.[5][6][7][8] In major urban centres likeDelhi,Mumbai,Kolkata,Janakpur, andKathmandu, the Indian andNepali diaspora actively participates in celebrating Chhath, preserving their cultural heritage.[9][10][11][12] The festival is also celebrated by the diaspora[13][14] in countries such as theUnited States,Australia,Singapore, theUnited Arab Emirates,Canada,Mauritius,Japan, and theUnited Kingdom.[15]
During ChhathPuja, prayers are dedicated to thesolar deity,Surya, to express gratitude for the blessings of life on Earth and to seek the fulfilment of personal wishes.[16] The Hindu goddess Chhathi Maiya (orChhathi Mata)—the sixth form ofPrakriti and Surya's sister—is also worshipped during the festival. It is celebrated for six days afterDeepavali orTihar, until the sixth day of thelunar month of Kartika (October or November) in theHindu calendar (Vikram Samvat), which is why it is called 'Surya Shashti Vrata'.[17][18][19] The rituals are observed over three nights and four days,[20] and include holy bathing,fasting, abstaining from drinking water as avrata (devotion), standing in water, and offeringprasada (prayer offerings of food) andarghya to the rising and setting of the Sun.[21] Some devotees also perform aprostration march as they head towards the riverbanks.[22] All devotees prepare similarprasada and offerings.[23][24]
Chhath Puja is also marked by the preparation and offering of a variety of traditional and sattvic (pure and vegetarian) dishes that are cooked without onion or garlic. These food items hold cultural and religious importance, often passed down through generations.
Four of the most important traditional prasadas (offerings) offered during Chhath Puja are:
These recipes are not only offerings but also symbolize purity, devotion, and cultural richness associated with the Chhath festival.
Environmentalists have claimed that the festival of Chhath is one of the most eco-friendly religious festivals.[28][29]
Chhath Puja is dedicated toSurya, the Sun God, as it is thought that the sun is visible to every being and is the basis of life of all creatures on Earth.[30] Chhathi Maiya (or Chhathi Mata) is also worshipped on this day. According toVedic astrology, Chhathi Maiya grants children long life and good health by shielding them from illnesses and diseases.[31]
Chhath Puja is afolk festival that lasts four days. It starts with Kartik Shukla Chaturthi and ends with Kartik Shukla Saptami. Chhath is celebrated twice a year:[32]
The main worshippers, calledparvaitin (transl. 'devotees', from Sanskritparva, meaning 'occasion' or 'festival'), are usually women. However, men also observe this festival as Chhath is not a gender-specific festival.[35] Theparvaitin pray for the well-being of their family, and for the prosperity of their children.
On the first day of Chhath Puja, theparvaitin must take a holy bath, after which the entire house, its surroundings, and pathways to theghat are thoroughly cleaned.Parvaitin usually cooksattviklauki bhaat (bottle gourd and Bengal gram lentil, with Arva rice), which is served in the afternoon to the deity asbhog (consecrated food). This initiates the festival. The food is then eaten by theparvaitin to protect the mind from thoughts of vengeance; it is theparvaitin's the last meal during the festival.[36]
Kharna, also known as Rasiaav-roti or Lohanda, is the second day of Chhath Puja.[citation needed] On this day, as an act of worship, devotees do not drink even a single drop of water. In the evening, they eatgur ke kheer (kheer made ofjaggery), calledrasiaav, together withroti.[37]
This day is spent by preparing theprasada (food offerings) at home, which often consist ofthekua (cookies), riceladdu sweets,khajuria,tikri,kasar, and fruits (mainly sugarcanes, sweet lime, coconut, banana, and seasonal fruits) offered in small bamboo baskets.[38] The food is strictly vegetarian and is cooked without salt, onions, or garlic. Emphasis is placed on maintaining the purity of the food.[39]
In the evening, the entire household accompanies the devotee to a riverbank, pond, or other large body of water to make thearghya offerings to the setting sun. Where there is no river or pond, an indoor setup such as a tank or fountain is used. In certain places there are restrictions on using beaches for puja.[40] Besides the devotees and their friends and family, other participants and onlookers help and receive the worshipper's blessings.
When makingarghya,Gangajal water is offered to Surya, and Chhathi Maiya is worshipped with theprasada. After the worship of the Sun God, participants sing Chhath songs in the night and read theVrat katha.[41]
After returning home, devotees perform the ritual ofkosi bharai together with other family members. They tie together 5–7 sugarcanes to form amandap beneath which 12–24diya (lamps) are burnt andthekua and seasonal fruits are offered. The same ritual is repeated the next morning between 3 am and 4 am, and afterward the devotees offerarghya or other offerings to the rising sun.
At dawn on the last day of Chhath Puja, worshippers travel to the riverbank to offerarghya to the rising sun. After making this holy offering, parents pray to Chhatti Maiya for their child's protection as well as the happiness and peace of their whole family. After worship, followers participate in theParan orParana rite, completion of their fast with a small amount ofprasada and water. This rite emphasises the connection between family well-being anddivine favours, serving as a symbol of thanksgiving andspiritual closure.
In some communities, once a family member starts performing Chhath Puja, they are duty-bound to perform it every year and to pass it on to the following generations. The festival is skipped only if there is a death in the family that year. If the person stops performing the ritual on any particular year, it stops permanently and one cannot resume it. In other communities, this is not mandatory.
Chhath has been mentioned in both the major Indian epics. In theRamayana, whenLord Rama andMata Sita returned toAyodhya, people celebratedDeepavali, and on its sixth day theRamarajya (lit. 'Kingdom of Rama') was established. On this day Rama and Sita fasted, and Surya Shashthi and Chhath Puja was performed by Mata Sita. Hence, she was blessed withLava andKusha as sons.
InChamparan (Bihar, India) andMadhesh Province (Nepal), it is a belief that after leaving Ayodhya, Sita stayed inValmiki Ashram located on the edge of theNarayani (Gandaki) river inChitwan district, on the India–Nepal border. During that time, she celebrated Chhath Mahaparva in Nepal.[42]
In theMahabharata, Chhath Puja was performed byKunti after she (and thePandavas) escaped fromLakshagriha.[43] It is also believed thatKarna, the son of Surya and Kunti, was conceived after Kunti performed Chhath Puja.Draupadi is also said to have performed the Puja for the Pandavas to win theKurukshetra War. It is believed that Draupadi performed Chhath Puja near a spring in Nagdi village ofRanchi. In this village today, the festival is performed near this spring, not the river or pond.[44][45]
TheBrahma Vaivarta Purana mentions that Chhathi Maiya is worshipped during the Chhath festival.
According to another legend, King Priyavrata, son of firstManu Svayambhu, was unhappy because he had no children. To remedy this, Kashyapa asked him to do ayajna. Shortly after, a son was born to Queen Malini; however, the baby was born dead. Following the stillbirth, the king and his family were heartbroken. Finding sympathy for the royal family, Mata Shashthi revealed herself in the sky. When the king prayed to her, she spoke, saying: "I am Chhathi Maiya the sixth form ofPrakriti. I protect all the children of the world and give the blessings of children to all childless parents." After this, the goddess blessed the lifeless child with her hands, so that he came to life. Thankful for Shashthi Devi's grace, the king worshipped the goddess. It is believed that after this puja, this festival became a worldwide celebration.[citation needed]
It is also believed that there was anashram (hermitage) of therishiKashyapa and Aditi in theBuxar region. Mata Aditi gave birth toSurya as a son on the sixth day of Kartika. Surya is also called Aditya because he is the son of Aditi. For this reason, Chhath Puja is celebrated as the birth anniversary of Surya and the month of Kartika is considered a holy month throughout the year.[46]
InMunger region, the festival is known for its association withSita manpatthar (orSita Charan;lit. 'Sita's footsteps'). It is believed that the goddess Sita performed Chhath festival in Munger. Sitacharan Temple, situated on a boulder in the middle of the Ganges River in Munger, is the main center of public faith regarding the Chhath festival.[47]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)Some devotees go to river banks to worship the sun by prostrating themselves the entire distance.
