As the post-Diwali glow fades, the ghats across Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh come alive with lamps, songs, and unwavering devotion. It’s time for Chhath Puja, one of India’s oldest and most soul-stirring festivals that celebrates the divine connection between humans and nature.
Observed this year from October 25 to 28, Chhath is more than a ritual, it’s a heartfelt thanksgiving to Surya Dev (the Sun God) and Chhathi Maiya, believed to be the Sun’s younger wife and the protector of families.
The festival honors the life-giving power of the sun, thanking it for nurturing the Earth and sustaining every living being. Spread across four spiritually charged days, the rituals carry a rare blend of simplicity, endurance, and purity.
It begins with Nahay Khay, a sacred bath that symbolizes cleansing of the body and soul. The next day, Kharna, devotees observe a day-long fast and offer jaggery kheer as prasad before beginning a grueling 36-hour nirjala fast without even a sip of water. The evenings of Sandhya Arghya and mornings of Usha Arghya are the festival’s heart, as devotees stand knee-deep in rivers or ponds, offering prayers to the setting and rising sun with folded hands, songs, and unshaken faith.
Traditionally women-led, Chhath Puja isn’t bound by gender, it’s a festival of community, endurance, and gratitude. The scientific side isn’t lost either: the rituals align with sunrise and sunset when UV rays are weakest, believed to purify the mind and body.
As dawn breaks on October 28, the fast is gently broken with thekua (deep-fried sweet snack from the Indian subcontinent, popular in Bihar and Nepal, primarily made from whole wheat flour, jaggery, and ghee) and simple homemade prasad.
The chants fade, the sun rises again, and another chapter of devotion closes, a reminder that sometimes, the purest prayers are whispered to the first light of day.