Chhath Puja 2025: Chhath Puja festivities will begin on October 25 with the Nahay Khay ritual and continue until Usha Arghya on October 28. This sacred Hindu festival is widely celebrated in Bihar, Jharkhand, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, and parts of Nepal. Devotees observe a four-day-long puja in reverence to the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya with utmost devotion and love.
Chhath Puja symbolizes purity, simplicity, and gratitude. The rituals include cleansing homes & surroundings, preparing Thekua, and other offerings. Thousands gather at riverbanks at dawn and dusk to perform the festival. Devotees, particularly married women, observe strict fasts during this period. During the 36-hour Nirjala Vrat (fast without water), devotees abstain from eating or drinking. Here are some special precautions that should be taken during Chhath Puja.
Dos During Chhath Puja Fasting
- Observe a Nirjala Fast
- Take a Bath and Purify Yourself
- Prepare the Puja Thali with Clean Hands
- Offer Arghya to the Sun
- Stay Mentally Positive and Spiritual
- Follow Rituals Properly: Nahay Khay, Kharna, Sandhya Arghya, and Usha Arghya
Don’ts During Chhath Puja Fasting
- Don’t Eat or Drink Anything
- Avoid Consuming Salt, Oil, or Processed/Non-Veg Food
- Don’t Engage in Negative or Impure Activities
- Don’t Break the Fast Early
Chhath Puja 2025 Date And Timings
Day 1: Nahay Khay
The first day of Chhath Puja starts with taking a bath in holy rivers and cooking simple and vegetarian dishes. The name ‘Nahay Khay’ means bathing and feasting, indicating the beginning of the ritual fast. All rooms are cleaned to present the dwelling place as a clean, holy space for worship. On this day, people purchase fruits and diyas to be used in the puja.
Date: October 25, Saturday
Day 2: Kharna
On the second day of Chhath Puja, ‘Kharna’, devotees fast until sunset and break their fast with an offering to the deities. Prasad made of jaggery, rice, and milk called “kheer” is distributed among relatives and friends before entering into a 36-hour nirjala fast without water, an integral to Chhath Puja rituals.
Date: October 26, Sunday
Day 3: Sandhya Arghya
The third day of Chhath Puja is ‘Sandhya Argya’. On this day, devotees gather on river banks, ponds, or any other water body to offer arghya to the setting sun. The evening rituals are characterized by singing traditional Chhath songs and lighting diyas or oil lamps.
- Date: October 27, Monday
- Sunset on October 27: 5:40 PM
Day 4: Usha Arghya
On the fourth and last day of Chhath Puja, devotees offer prayers to the rising sun and break their fast by offering the morning arghya. They then distribute prasad to the relatives and members of the family.
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