4 Days Of Chhath Puja, Significance And How It Is Celebrated
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05 November 2024
The four-day Chhath Puja, celebrated across India and abroad, kickstarts on Tuesday (November 5) and will continue till Friday (November 8).
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The festival is dedicated to the worship of the Sun god (Surya) and Chhathi Maiya (Mother Shashti), believed to be the sister of the Sun.
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The 1st day is called Nahay khay, followed by Kharna. On 3rd (Sandhya arghya) and 4th day (Usha arghya), the devotees worship the setting and rising Sun respectively.
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Nahay Khay: The devotees take a meal (Khana) after a ceremonial bath (Nahana) in a river, sea or a pond. A pumkin sabzi is prepared.
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Kharna: On the 2nd day, a meal of roti and kheer is consumed by the person observing the fast. Family and friends eat the same meal later together.
Image: Wikimedia
Image: Wikimedia
On the 3rd day, the devotees, usually women, stand waist-deep in water and offer arghya to the setting Sun, chanting hymns and prayers.
The same ritual is conducted at dawn, the next day, for the rising Sun, called the Usha ka Arghya.
Image: Wikimedia
Afterwards, the community returns home and prasadam is consumed as well as distributed in the neighbourhood.