Chhath Puja 2021: Date, rituals, significance - all you need to know

Chhath Puja: The four-day festival begins with ‘Nahay Khay’ and concludes with ‘Usha Arghya’. (Representative image: Reuters)

The festival of Chhath Puja, dedicated to the Sun god, began on November 8. Essentially a festival of Purvanchalis (natives of Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh), the rituals of the four-day festival involve taking a holy bath, fasting, and offering 'Arghya' by fasting women to the setting and the rising sun in knee-deep water.

The festival is celebrated after six days of Diwali or the sixth day of the month of Kartik, which is why it is called Chhath Puja, where ‘Chhath’ means ‘six.’ But its preparation begins a day after the festival of lights as devotees start eating only Satvik food (without onion, garlic), prepare meals with utmost hygiene and eat only after taking a bath.

The four-day festival begins with ‘Nahay Khay’ and concludes with ‘Usha Arghya’, when people break their 36-hour long ‘nirjala' fast after offering ‘Arghya’ to the rising sun. Let’s know the significance of each day of the festival:

On the first day of Chhath Puja called Nahay Khay (this year it is on November 8), devotees take a bath, wear clean clothes and prepare a prasad for Sun god using ingredients like moong-chana dal, pumpkin, and bottle gourd. They also clean their house and surroundings.

On the day, the fasting women, called ‘Vrattis’, eat the prasad only once. Other members of the family eat only after her.

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The second day of the Chhath festival marks a full-day fast by the Vrattis. On this day, they prepare a prasad of kheer. They offer their prayers to Chhathi Maiya. At midnight, Thekua is prepared, which is used as a prasad while praying to Chhathi Maiya.

After having this prasad, devotees begin an arduous nirjala fast (without water) lasting for 36 hours.

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Sandhya means evening and on this day, vrattis observe fast all day and offer ‘Arghya’ to the setting Sun. On this day, a canopy made of five sugarcanes, representing five elements of Earth, is used as an integral part of the prayer. The ritual is known as ‘Kosi’. The fast continues for the entire night till the sunrise of the next day.

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On the fourth and final day of Chhath Puja, known as Paran Din, devotees offer Usha Arghya to the rising Sun standing in knee-deep water. The vrattis break the fast by eating prasad and taking blessings from elders of the family.

This year, the festival began on November 8 and will continue till November 11.