Chhath Puja

Kartika · Nov · North

A four-day festival of extraordinary devotion to Surya, the sun god, and Chhathi Maiya (the sun's sister and a form of the goddess). Chhath Puja is primarily observed in Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh, and it is one of the most physically demanding festivals in all of Hinduism. The four days follow a strict sequence: on the first day (Nahay Khay), devotees take a holy bath and eat only one meal. The second day (Kharna) is a full day of fasting broken only in the evening. The third day (Sandhya Arghya) is the main event, when devotees stand waist-deep in rivers, ponds, or any available body of water and offer prayers (arghya) to the setting sun while holding plates of fruits, sugarcane, and thekua (a special wheat flour sweet). The fourth day (Usha Arghya) repeats the offering at sunrise. The fasting involved is intense: 36 hours without food or water. What makes Chhath remarkable is its simplicity. There are no priests, no temple visits, no idol worship. It is direct prayer to the sun, performed by ordinary families with extraordinary discipline. The ritual requires absolute cleanliness, and the devotion of the women who lead these prayers, standing in cold water for hours, is legendary. While Chhath is not part of Telugu tradition, it is one of the oldest Vedic festivals in existence, connecting directly to the ancient practice of sun worship found in the Rig Veda. Understanding Chhath shows how diverse Hindu practice is across India.

Why it matters

One of the oldest Vedic festivals, involving direct worship of the sun without any intermediary priest or temple. The physical discipline required is extraordinary, and the devotion of its practitioners is legendary across India.

Traditions

• Standing in rivers at sunrise/sunset
• 36-hour waterless fast
• Offering thekua and fruits to the sun
• Community river gatherings

Dates

• 2025: 2025-10-26 to 2025-10-27
• 2026: 2026-11-14 to 2026-11-15
• 2027: 2027-11-03 to 2027-11-04