Among the oldest and most spiritually powerful Vedic festivals, Chhath Puja acknowledges Surya Dev (the Sun God) and Chhathi Maiya (Goddess Usha). This celebration demonstrates India’s bonds with nature, purity, and the cosmos. Chhath Puja is predominantly practiced throughout Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and some regions of Nepal and is celebrated as a festival of thanksgiving to the sun, the giver of life and energy.
This celebration is unique because it is the only celebration in the Hindu calendar where both the rising and the setting sun are worshipped. The festival is a perfect synergy of individual self-discipline, community, and harmony with the environment.
Chhath Puja 2025 Dates
For the year 2025, Chhath Puja shall be celebrated across four days, starting from Saturday, October 25, to Tuesday, October 28.
- Nahay Khay (Day 1) – Saturday, October 25
- Kharna (Day 2) – Sunday, October 26
- Sandhya Arghya (Day 3) – Monday, October 27 (Evening offering to the setting sun)
- Usha Arghya (Day 4) – Tuesday, October 28 (Morning offering to the rising sun)
The most important evening ritual, Sandhya Arghya, will occur on Monday, October 27, 2025.
The Significance of Chhath Puja
The importance of Chhath Puja celebrations is both spiritual as well as scientific. Engaging in its practice rituals is believed to help devotees balance their physical and mental energies with the strength of the sun, thereby achieving spiritual balance, purity, vitality, and mental equilibrium.
To attain fertility, prosperity, and child protection, devotees revere Chhathi Maiya, the wife of Surya Dev. This form of worship represents the practice of self-purification and gratitude for the natural resources.
The festival is observed with the intention of:
- Expressing gratitude to the natural world and to the waters.
- Requesting the protection and prosperity of children.
- Ensuring the well-being of the family and fulfillment of their promises.
- Achieving spiritual cleansing and transformation.
Chhath Puja Rituals
- Nahay Khay (25th October – Saturday)
- The purification period begins on the first day. All devotees wash their bodies in holy waters of rivers or ponds before the thorough cleansing of their homes.
- They prepare and eat the pure Satvik meal consisting of lauki (bottle gourd) with rice and chana dal.
- The meal is cooked in vessels of bronze or earthenware. Wood or cow dung is used as fuel to prepare the meal.
- This meal is the only one eaten during the day and is consumed after the devotees offer prayers to start the spiritual fast. This is done in the ascribed spirit of purity and discipline.
- Kharna (26th October – Sunday)
- This day represents devotion and self-control. Devotees observe a nirjala vrat (fast without water) from sunrise to moonrise.
- After sunset, kheer (jaggery rice pudding), roti, and bananas are offered to Chhathi Maiya.
- The fast is then broken, marking the beginning of a 36-hour continuous fast without water until the next sunrise.
- Sandhya Arghya (27th October – Monday)
- The third day holds immense importance as devotees gather at water bodies to offer evening prayers.
- As the sun sets, devotees offer arghya while standing waist-deep in water.
- Offerings are placed in soop (bamboo baskets) filled with thekua, sugarcane, bananas, turmeric root, coconut, diyas, and seasonal fruits.
- The surroundings resonate with folk songs, bhajans, and prayers, creating an atmosphere of divine peace and unity.
- Usha Arghya (28th October -Tuesday)
- The final ritual, performed before sunrise, marks the completion of Chhath Puja.
- Devotees offer water and prasad to the rising sun, expressing gratitude for life and energy.
- After the offering, they break their fast and share prasad with family and neighbors, spreading harmony and blessings.
- This ritual concludes the festival, signifying peace, healing, and gratitude.
Essential Chhath Puja Samagri List
For an authentic celebration, devotees prepare natural and traditional offerings, including:
- Soop (bamboo winnowing tray)
- Thekua (a sweet made from wheat flour and jaggery)
- Coconut (in husk)
- Sugarcane sticks
- Seasonal fruits like bananas, oranges, and apples
- Radish, turmeric root, and ginger
- Raw milk, honey, ghee, camphor, and earthen diyas
- Pure cotton thread and incense sticks
Only organic, seasonal, and unprocessed items are used to honor purity and sustainability. No artificial or packaged materials are allowed during the rituals. Also Read: Bhai Dooj 2025: Date, Significance, Shubh Muhurat, Rituals & Puja Guide
How and Where to Celebrate
Traditional Ghats
- In traditional settings, Chhath Puja is celebrated near rivers, ponds, or lakes, where devotees gather for collective worship.
- The ghats are cleaned and decorated with banana trees, flower rangoli, and earthen lamps.
- The environment fills with the sound of Chhath geet (folk songs) and devotional hymns, symbolizing unity and faith.
Home Celebrations (Urban Areas)
- In cities, where natural water bodies may not be easily accessible, devotees create makeshift ghats at home.
- Rooftops, balconies, and water tanks are used for offering arghya.
- Every step is performed with utmost cleanliness and sincerity.
- Families spend the night singing bhajans and maintaining silence and meditation to strengthen their spiritual connection.
Environmental and Cultural Relevance
Among Indian festivals, Chhath Puja is considered the most eco-friendly and encourages the celebration of purity and environmental balance.
- Celebrations do not involve idols, toxic materials, or firecrackers.
- Rituals involve the use of clean water and the observance of no-waste practices. They also promote the conservation of nature.
- The celebration also underscores women’s devotion and the unique strength of women, illustrating patience and faith.
- The focus and attitude of the celebration inspire the community towards the more respectful use of rivers, trees, and the general balance of the ecosystem.
Conclusion
Chhath Puja 2025 fuels the connection between human life and the Sun’s power. Celebrating Chhath teaches the principles of gratitude, purity, and balance, which are of utmost importance in the spiritual and everyday life. By praying and offering to the rising and setting sun, the devotees fill their lives with peace, power, and light.
Wishing this Chhath Puja brings you solar healing, harmony, and divine prosperity.
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