Chhath Puja

Four days of observance

The festival begins with ritual bathing and a meal of bottle gourd with rice. On the second day, devotees abstain from water until evening, when they eat jaggery kheer and flatbread. The third day is dedicated to preparing offerings and walking to a river or pond to salute the setting sun. At home, families set up cane canopies lit with clay lamps. The observance finishes at dawn on the fourth day with morning prayers to the rising sun, followed by breaking the fast.

Sacred foods and offerings

Devotees prepare strictly vegetarian dishes without salt, onions, or garlic to maintain purity. The signature item is thekua, a deep-fried sweet made from wheat flour, jaggery, and clarified butter. Other traditional items include rasabali, prepared with flattened rice steeped in sweetened milk and cardamom, alongside rice laddoos called kasar and steamed or fried peethha dumplings filled with coconut and jaggery. Families place these sweets and seasonal fruits, such as sugarcane and bananas, into woven bamboo baskets to present as holy offerings at the water's edge.

Legends and family customs

Ancient narratives tie the rituals to figures from Indian epics. Sita is said to have observed Chhath after returning to Ayodhya and again while residing at Valmiki Ashram along the Narayani River. Other accounts describe Kunti and Draupadi performing the rites during the events of the Mahabharata. Another tale tells of King Priyavrata, whose stillborn child was restored to life by Chhathi Maiya after fervent prayer. In many families, keeping the fast is an inherited duty that passes down across generations without interruption.

How Chhath Puja is kept

Worshippers begin by cleansing their homes and bathing before sharing a simple meal of rice and gourd. On the second day, a waterless fast ends at night with jaggery pudding. Devotees then cook sweets such as thekua and assemble baskets of fruit and holy water. Accompanied by family, they walk to a riverbank, pond, or tank, standing in the water to offer evening prayers to the setting sun. After lighting lamps beneath sugarcane canopies overnight, they return to the water at dawn to greet the rising sun, completing their fast with water and consecrated food.

When and where

The festival takes place six days after Diwali in the lunar month of Kartika, falling in October or November. It spans four continuous days, from Shukla Chaturthi to Shukla Saptami. A smaller observance called Chaiti Chhath also occurs during the month of Chaitra.

Chhath is native to the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh, as well as southern Nepal. Riverbanks, ponds, and lakes are central gathering places, though diaspora communities in major cities also create temporary water tanks to perform the rites.

What Chhath Puja means

Devotees honour Surya as the visible source of life who sustains all living things. Worshipping Chhathi Maiya, the sixth manifestation of nature, expresses gratitude for family welfare and seeks long life, health, and protection for children. The rigorous fast reflects devotion and mental discipline.

On the table

• Thekua
• Rasabali
• Kasar
• Peethha
• Lauki bhaat
• Gur ke kheer
• Roti
• Sohari

Flavours: Cardamom

Days Chhath Puja is marked

Chhath Puja dates: 2026, 2027, 2028

Questions people ask about Chhath Puja

See also

Krishna JanmashtamiA Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Krishna with fasting, singing and night vigilsThaipusamA Tamil Hindu festival honoring Murugan through devotional burdens and pilgrimageMid-Sha'banAn Islamic night of prayer, remembrance, and seeking divine forgiveness.NavaratriA nine-night Hindu festival honoring the goddess Durga and her nine forms through prayer, fasting, and dance.

Good reading and sources

• Chhath Puja 2021: Date, significance, rituals of Nahay Khay, Kharna and all about four-day festivalHindustan Times, Article
• Mumbai: No Chhath celebrations on beaches, says municipal bodyScroll.in, Article
• Chhath Puja 2016: History, Significance, Dates and Benefits of Chhath Puja, Surya SashthiThe Indian Express, Article
• Chhath Puja 2021: Date, significance, rituals of Nahay Khay, Kharna and all about four-day festivalHindustan Times, Article
• Mumbai: No Chhath celebrations on beaches, says municipal bodyScroll.in, Article
• Chhath Puja 2016: History, Significance, Dates and Benefits of Chhath Puja, Surya SashthiThe Indian Express, Article

• Chhath on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-04.