Interesting facts about Chhath Puja: four days of worshipping the sun
Chhath is a four-day festival of worship of the sun and Chhathi Maiya — nahay-khay, kharna, and offerings to the setting and rising sun. Its rules and facts.
Rohit Tandon · 14 October 2026 · 4 min read
Six days after Diwali, the ghats of rivers and ponds in Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and the Terai of Nepal fill with devotees. This is Chhath Puja — the great festival of worship of the Sun god and Chhathi Maiya. It falls on Kartik Shukla Shashthi (the sixth day, hence the name "Chhath") and is known for its strict rules and discipline. Today it is celebrated wherever people from these regions have settled, in India and abroad — from Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata to Mauritius and the United States.
A festival of four days
| Day | What happens |
|---|---|
| First — Nahay-khay | Those keeping the fast bathe in a river or pond and eat a pure, simple meal (pumpkin and rice, chana dal) |
| Second — Kharna | A day of fasting; in the evening, prasad of jaggery kheer and roti, after which a fast of about 36 hours without water begins |
| Third — Sandhya Arghya | Offerings to the setting sun at the ghat |
| Fourth — Usha Arghya | Offerings to the rising sun, ending the fast |
What makes Chhath unique
- Worshipping the setting sun: Chhath is perhaps the only big festival in which the setting sun is offered arghya before the rising sun — a message that every stage of life deserves respect.
- Nature, not idols: no idol or temple is needed. The sun, water, the river ghat, bamboo winnowing baskets and seasonal fruit are all that the worship uses.
- No priest: the person keeping the fast performs the puja themselves; most are women, but men keep the fast too.
- Thekua: thekua, made of wheat flour, jaggery and ghee, is the best-known prasad of Chhath.
- Twice a year: besides Kartik, Chhath is also celebrated in the month of Chaitra, called "Chaiti Chhath".
Did you know? Almost everything used in Chhath — bamboo baskets (soop and daura), clay lamps, sugarcane, bananas, coconuts and seasonal fruit — is natural and local. That is why it is counted among the most eco-friendly festivals.
Beliefs linked with Chhath
In folk belief, Chhathi Maiya is the goddess who protects children, and the Sun god is the source of health and energy. According to one story, Karna in the Mahabharata, the son of the Sun, stood in water for hours every day offering arghya to the sun. Another story tells of Draupadi and the Pandavas keeping the Chhath fast. Chhath folk songs — such as "Kaanch hi baans ke bahangiya" — are the soul of the festival, and the singer Sharda Sinha's Chhath songs are heard in every home.
Preparing the ghats, together
Before Chhath, whole neighbourhoods clean the ghats together, decorate the paths and put up lights. People who cannot reach a ghat make a small pond on their roof or in their courtyard to offer arghya. In big cities the administration also arranges safety, cleaning and lighting at the ghats. With big crowds in the rivers there is a risk of drowning, so people are advised not to go into deep water.
Key points
- Chhath falls on Kartik Shukla Shashthi, six days after Diwali.
- Four days: nahay-khay, kharna, the evening arghya and the dawn arghya.
- After kharna, those keeping the fast go without water for about 36 hours.
- Both the setting and the rising sun are offered arghya.
- Thekua is the main prasad; no idol is needed for the puja.
Read about the Diwali festival in Why is Diwali celebrated and the story of Bhai Dooj. About the Ganga and other rivers: Major rivers of India.
Frequently asked questions
When is Chhath Puja celebrated?
On Kartik Shukla Shashthi, six days after Diwali. The four-day festival begins two days earlier with nahay-khay.
Who is worshipped in Chhath Puja?
The Sun god and Chhathi Maiya.
Read more: Interesting facts.
Sources
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