When is Chhath Puja 2024? Check dates, timings & rituals of festival
Chhath Puja 2024: With Diwali celebration concluded, the focus has shifted to Chhath. Chhath Puja is mostly celebrated in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, as well as by the expatriate population.
The festival celebrates the Sun god (Surya) and Chhathi Maiya (Mother Shashti), whom many believe to be the Sun's sister. The holy festival lasts four days and includes strict rituals and fasting to express gratitude to the Sun god for supporting life on Earth.
This year's festival will kick off on November 5 and conclude on November 8.
Chhath Puja 2024: Rituals
The festival kicks off with Nahay Khay (bathing and feasting), in which people take a ritual bath and consume a simple meal. The following day, devotees observe Kharna, which involves fasting all day and breaking it only after sunset as an offering to the deities.
The person observing the fast eats roti (chappati) and kheer (rice pudding) before gathering with family and friends to share the same meal on a banana leaf.
On the third day, the main ritual, which is highly revered, takes place. Devotees, generally women, gather around sources of water, such as rivers or ponds, before sunrise. Standing waist-deep in water, they chant hymns and prayers while offering arghya (water offerings) to the rising Sun. This unique feature of Chhath Puja represents purity, self-discipline, and the continuity of life. The setting (Usha) Sun sees another round of arghya, this time bidding farewell to the day.
Chhath Puja 2024: Date and Timings
Nahay Khay: November 5 from 6:36 AM till 5:33 PM
Kharna: November 6 from 6:37 AM to 5:32 PM
Sandhya arghya: November 7 from 6:38 AM to 5:32 PM
Usha arghya: November 8 from 6:38 AM to 5:31 PM
- PTC NEWS
