Chhath Puja also known as Surya Sashthi is a very famous festival that is celebrated in the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand after 6 days of Diwali festival. The festival is celebrated with full zeal and equal dedication in many other states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh, Goa, and Maharashtra. The festival holds great significance for the Hindu community as it is one of the ancient festivals.

Chhath Puja is performed by the devotees to express their gratitude towards the Sun God for sustaining life on the planet Earth. It is a 4-day long festival in which women keep 36 hours of fast (starts on Shukla Chaturthi and ends on Shukla Saptami) and pray for longevity, prosperity and well-being.

Chhath Puja 2023 Important Dates

Rituals	Date	Tithi	Day
Nahay Khay	November 17, 2023	Karthik Shukla Chaturthi	Friday
Kharna	October 18, 2023	Karthik Shukla Panchami	Saturday
Sandhya Aarti	November 19, 2023	Karthik Shukla Shashti	Sunday
Suryodya/Usha Argh	November 20, 2023	Karthik Shukla Saptami	Monday

Nahay Khay (First Day)

Nahay Khay is the first day of Chhath Puja. On this day, the entire house is cleaned and vegetarian food is prepared. All the vratis wear clean clothes and prepare prasad for Lord Surya. Kaddoo Bhaat and Chana Daal are quite popular prasads that devotees make on Nahay Khay.

Kharna (Second Day)

On this day, vratis fast begins from sunrise and continues till sunset. They can’t drink even a single drop of water. The whole day is spent preparing for the festival. In the evening, vratis prepare a special Prasad called Rasiao-kheer (made with Jaggery, rice, and milk) and chapattis. With this prasad, Vratis worship Chhathi Maiya and after finishing the Puja, vratis break their fast by eating the prasad and later on distributing it among family members. After consuming the prasad, the vratis have to fast for 36 hours without any food and water.

Sandhya Arghya (Third Day)

This is the main day of Chhath Puja. People prepare special offerings usually before sunrise. During the day, a basket full of bamboo sticks is prepared and thekua and fruits are put into it. In the evening, vratis along with their family members gather at the banks of the holy river Ganga or any other holy river. Vratis sit on the ghat and worship the setting sun.

Later in the evening when the sun sets, vratis offer Sandhya Arghya. After the worship, female folks sing Shashthi Devi Vrat Katha & chhath folk songs at night.

Usha Arghya (Fourth Day)

On the fourth and final day of Chhath Puja, vratis again gather at the bank of the river early in the morning and wait for the sun to rise. When the sun rises, vratis offer the morning Arghya to the rising sun with their feet dipped in the water body. After that, vratis distribute prasad and take blessings from the elderly. After all these rituals, all the devotees return to their homes and break their 36-hour-long fast. The delicious food is offered to vratis which is called Parna.

Important Timings Of Chhath Puja 2023

Puja Muhurat Start	Sashthi Tithi	09:18 am	18th November 2023
Puja Muhurat End	Sashthi Tithi	07:23 am	19th November 2023

Significance of Chhath Festival

Chhath Puja is celebrated with full fervour to worship the Lord Sun, the god of energy. Each year, devotees pray to God Surya to seek the success and well-being of their family members. According to ancient beliefs, worshipping the Lord Sun also helps in curing a variety of diseases like Leprosy.