festivals
What is Chhath Puja and what makes it unique among Hindu festivals?
Who is worshipped and why
Chhath Puja honours Surya, the sun god, and Chhathi Maiya, a goddess linked to the number six and seen as a protector of children and families. The sun is worshipped not just as a source of light but as the force that sustains all life. Solar hymns in the Atharva Veda tradition carry this same reverence, and Chhath is seen as one of the oldest surviving forms of Vedic sun worship.
What makes it different
Most Hindu festivals centre on a murti, an idol or image, in a temple or home shrine. Chhath has none of that. Devotees go to open riverbanks, lakes, or ponds and stand in the water to offer arghya, a ritual offering, directly to the sky. The most striking moment is Sandhya Arghya, the evening offering to the setting sun. Praying to a setting sun is rare in Hindu practice. The tradition holds that even as the sun fades, it deserves the same devotion as when it rises. The rising sun offering the next morning, called Usha Arghya, completes this cycle. Together they express gratitude for the full arc of light, not just its peak.
Where it comes from
Chhath has deep roots in Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh. It is closely tied to those communities and their relationship with the rivers of the Gangetic plain. The festival has always been a community event, held in the open, with no priest required to lead it. Families and neighbourhoods prepare together. The exact origins are debated, but the connection to ancient Vedic solar worship is widely recognised.
The four days
The festival runs over four days. The first day involves a ritual bath and a simple meal. The second day is a strict fast that lasts through the night, broken only after moonrise. The third day brings the Sandhya Arghya, the sunset offering at the water's edge. The fourth morning closes with the Usha Arghya at sunrise, after which the fast ends. The devotee, usually a woman though men observe it too, keeps a very strict fast during this period, often without water for long stretches.
Today
Chhath has grown well beyond its home region. It is now observed in cities across India and among the Bihar and Jharkhand diaspora around the world, from Mauritius to the United States. Wherever there is a river, a lake, or even a temporary water body, communities gather. The open-air, idol-free nature of the festival means it travels easily. For many people far from home, Chhath is one of the strongest ties to their roots.