Chhath 2020: Chhath Puja is celebrated on the sixth day of the Kartik month of the Hindu calendar
Several parts of India are all set to celebrate Chhath Puja or Chhath Parva. It is a four-day festival mostly celebrated by people from Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar. This festival starts with Kartik Shukla Chaturthi and ends with Kartik Shukla Saptami.
This year, the main celebration will take place on the third day, November 20, where when devotees will offer "argha" to the Sun God at sunset and offer prasad.
On the fourth and last day, devotees pray before sunrise and end their fast by eating special prasad and delicacies.
Chhath Puja 2020: Date And Timings
Chhath Puja is celebrated on the sixth day of the Kartik month of the Hindu calendar, which also happens to be the fourth day after Diwali. The puja for Chhath this year will be performed on Friday, November 20.
According to Drik Panchang, the sunrise and sunset muhurat for the four days is as follows:
Day 1- Chaturthi (Nahay Khay)
Sun rise: 6:45 am
Sunset: 5:25 pm
Day 2- Panchami (Lohanda and Kharna)
Sun rise: 6:46 am
Sunset: 5:25 pm
Day 3- Shashthi (Chhath Puja, Sandhya Arghya)
Sun rise: 6:47 am
Sunset: 5:25 pm
Day 4- Saptami (Usha Arghya, Parana Day)
Sun rise: 6:48 am
Sunset: 5:24 pm
Chhath Puja 2020: Significance
As per the Hindu tradition, devotees worship the Sun God to express gratitude and seek their blessings. Along with the Sun God, people also make offerings to Chhath Maiya, commonly known as Usha, the wife of the Sun God. According to Vedic astrology, Chhathi Maiya or Chhathi Mata protects the offspring and provides longevity to them. Many people observe the ritualistic Chhath fast -they consume only one whole vegetarian meal in the day. In the last few years, Chhath Puja has got a special significance as a folk festival. This is the reason why the festival is celebrated with great pomp and show.