How Chhath Puja is kept: the four days, the prasad and the rules
Quick answer: Chhath Puja is a four-day worship of Surya dev and Chhathi Maiya, held mainly from Kartik Shukla Chaturthi to Saptami in Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Day one is Nahay-Khay, day two is Kharna, on day three an offering (arghya) is made to the setting sun and on day four to the rising sun, standing in water. After Kharna, the vrati (person fasting) keeps a fast without water for about 36 hours.
At a glance
- When
- Kartik Shukla Chaturthi to Saptami (after Diwali); Chaiti Chhath in Chaitra
- Deities
- Surya dev and Chhathi Maiya
- Fast
- About 36 hours without water after Kharna
- Prasad
- Thekua, fruit, sugarcane, coconut, in a soop and daura
The four days of Chhath
- Day 1, Nahay-Khay: bathe in a river or at home and clean the house; the vrati eats one simple meal cooked with rock salt (pumpkin, rice and chana dal).
- Day 2, Kharna: after fasting all day, a prasad of jaggery kheer and roti is made and offered in the evening; the vrati eats this prasad, and then the waterless fast begins.
- Day 3, Sandhya Arghya: thekua and other prasad are made and arranged in bamboo baskets (soop and daura); in the evening the offering is made to the setting sun, standing in water at the ghat.
- Day 4, Usha Arghya: at dawn the offering is made at the ghat to the rising sun.
- After the arghya, the vrati breaks the fast (parana) with prasad and water, and prasad is shared with everyone.
Do
- Keep complete purity while making prasad: clean vessels, a new or washed stove, and cooking only after bathing.
- The vrati sleeps on a mat on the floor (common tradition).
- Watch over children and the elderly at the ghat; don't go into deep water.
- Sing Chhath folk songs and help the vrati.
Don't
- Don't cook or bring onion, garlic, meat or alcohol into the home during these days.
- Don't touch the prasad without washing your hands, and don't taste it first.
- Don't leave rubbish or plastic at the ghat or in the river.
- If ill, pregnant or elderly, don't keep the 36-hour waterless fast without a doctor's advice; another family member can keep it.
The method of Chhath varies somewhat by family and region. Follow your elders' tradition. Put health and safety at the ghat first.
Frequently asked questions
How many days is the Chhath fast?
The puja lasts four days. The waterless fast runs about 36 hours, from after the Kharna prasad until the morning arghya.
What is Kharna?
The second day of Chhath, when a prasad of jaggery kheer and roti is offered in the evening and eaten by the vrati.
Can the Chhath arghya be given at home?
Yes. If you cannot go to a ghat, many families make a small pool of water on the roof or in the courtyard and offer the arghya there.
Can men keep the Chhath fast?
Yes, many men also keep the Chhath fast.
What is thekua?
A sweet made of wheat flour, jaggery and ghee, fried in ghee; it is the main prasad of Chhath.