Festival Days & Rituals

    Nahay-Khay (First Day)

• Devotees start by thoroughly cleaning their homes and surroundings.
• They take a holy bath in a river, pond, or water body using clean water and remove impurities from nails and hair.
• The first meal includes Arwa rice (unpolished rice), pumpkin curry, and moong dal. Fried foods, onion, and garlic are strictly avoided.
• Food is cooked in earthen or brass utensils, using wood or clay stoves, and the devotee eats first before the family.

     Kharna or Lohanda (Second Day)

• Devotees observe a day-long fast without food or water.
• In the evening, they prepare Kheer (rice pudding) using rice, jaggery, and sugarcane juice (without salt or sugar).
• The Kheer is first offered to the Sun God, then consumed in isolation (Ekant), before sharing with family and friends.
• Devotees continue nirjala vrat (without water) for the next 36 hours.

      Sandhya Arghya (Evening Offering – Third Day)

• Devotees prepare offerings like Thekua (wheat flour cookies) and Chawal ke Laddu (rice laddus), placed in a bamboo basket called Daura.
• The offerings are taken to the river or pond, often with women singing devotional songs en route.
• At the riverbank, the offerings are placed on a raised platform made of mud, coconut and fruits are added, and diya lamps are lit.
• Devotees stand in knee-deep water, offering Arghya to the setting Sun while performing five circumambulations (Parikrama).

     Usha Arghya (Morning Offering – Fourth Day)

• Early in the morning, devotees return to the riverbank to offer Arghya to the rising Sun, replacing previous evening offerings with fresh items except for root vegetables, fruits, and sugarcane.
• Devotees face east while offering prayers.
• The ritual concludes with Prasad distribution to family and neighbors, followed by consuming light offerings to break the fast (Paran).

    Vrat (Fasting & Discipline)

• The core of Chhath Puja is the Chhath Vrat, a rigorous fast observed mainly by women, called Parvaitin, though men also participate.
• Devotees avoid sleep on beds, eat specific foods, wear new clothes without stitching (sari for women, dhoti for men), and maintain purity for the entire ritual period.
• The fast is often observed continuously for 36 hours, including nirjala (without water) practices.

     Significance of Chhath Puja

• Sun Worship: Celebrates and honors Surya Dev, the source of energy, life, and health.
• Family Welfare: Prayers are offered for the well-being, prosperity, and longevity of family members.
• Purity and Self-Discipline: Encourages physical, mental, and spiritual purification.
• Gratitude: Expresses thanks to nature and the Sun for sustenance.
• Cultural & Social Significance: The festival is community-centered, promoting cooperation, devotion, and collective participation, using local resources, traditional utensils, and natural offerings.
• Mythological Roots: Linked to legends from Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Puranas, highlighting devotion, fertility, and blessings from the Sun God.

 Offerings & Ritual Materials

• Thekua (wheat flour cookies), rice laddus, seasonal fruits, sugarcane, coconut, and fresh vegetables.
• Diya lamps with ghee, bamboo baskets (Daura), mud platforms for offerings.
• Clothing: Unstitched new sari for women, dhoti for men.
  

   Outcome & Benefits

  • Devotees receive Sun God’s blessings for health, energy, and prosperity.
  • Ensures family harmony, purity, and spiritual renewal.
  • Strengthens community bonds and sustains cultural heritage.
  • Promotes gratitude, discipline, and devotion in daily life.