Chhath Puja is a deeply spiritual and culturally rich Hindu festival dedicated to the Sun God (Surya) and his consort, Chhathi Maiya. It symbolizes gratitude to nature, the sun’s life-giving energy, and the cycle of life, health, and prosperity. In 2025, Chhath Puja will be observed from October 25 to October 28, encompassing four main days of rituals and celebrations.
Chhath Puja 2025 Dates
- Day 1: Nahay Khay – Saturday, October 25, 2025
Devotees begin the festival with a holy bath in rivers or ponds, followed by eating a pure, satvik meal prepared without onion or garlic. - Day 2: Kharna – Sunday, October 26, 2025
This day involves a strict fast without water until sunset, when devotees break their fast by consuming jaggery kheer, roti, and fruits as prasad. - Day 3: Sandhya Arghya – Monday, October 27, 2025
Devotees offer prayers and arghya to the setting sun standing waist-deep in water, carrying bamboo baskets (soop) filled with traditional offerings like thekua, fruits, and sugarcane. - Day 4: Usha Arghya – Tuesday, October 28, 2025
The final day involves morning offerings to the rising sun. After the ritual, devotees break their fast and share prasad with family and community, marking the conclusion with gratitude and peace.
Chhath Puja Rituals and Traditions
Chhath Puja rituals emphasize purity, devotion, and nature worship. Devotees observe a strict 36-hour fast, some abstaining even from water (nirjala vrat). The festival involves holy bathing, fasting, religious hymns, and prayers dedicated to Surya and Chhathi Maiya. A key prasad (offering) is thekua, a traditional sweet made from wheat flour, jaggery, and ghee. Devotees gather at riverbanks, lakes, or artificial water tanks, dressed traditionally, with women often in vibrant sarees and men in dhoti-kurta.
Cultural Significance of Chhath Puja
Chhath Puja holds profound importance as it honors the sun as a source of life and energy. It is not only a festival of thanksgiving but also one that brings communities together in collective prayer and celebration. The festival fosters discipline, environmental consciousness, and spiritual renewal. Chhathi Maiya, worshiped as the sister of Surya, is believed to bless devotees with health, prosperity, and protection for their children. The communal aspect of the festival, with people from diverse backgrounds participating, enhances social harmony and cultural unity.
How Chhath Puja is Celebrated Across India
While Chhath Puja is most prominent in Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh, and Nepal, its celebration enjoys widespread enthusiasm among diasporas globally. Devotees adhere to traditional customs, gather at water bodies, sing folk songs, and perform rituals with devotion and joy. The festival is marked by a unique blend of austerity in fasts and joyous community participation, attracting people to the riverbanks for collective worship and cultural festivities.
Chhath Puja 2025 is a sacred celebration that honors the sun’s vital role in life while fostering community spirit, spiritual discipline, and environmental gratitude. From the holy baths and rigorous fasts to the heartfelt prayers and communal offerings, Chhath Puja is a testament to India’s rich spiritual heritage and cultural traditions. As devotees prepare to observe this four-day festival in October, they embrace the festival’s core message of purity, devotion, and harmony with nature.
Wishing everyone a blessed and fulfilling Chhath Puja 2025!
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