Festival guide 2003
Chhath Puja
Chhath Puja is an ancient Hindu festival dedicated to the Sun God (Surya) and Chhathi Maiya. Predominantly celebrated in Bihar, Jharkhand, UP, and Nepal, devotees offer prayers to the setting and rising sun standing in water.
Sandhya Arghya Muhurat
When to read
Festival dates are loading.
Central timing
Sandhya Arghya Muhurat
Festival length
4 days of observance
Festival story
Exact dates will appear once the calendar finishes loading.
Start with the story
Understand the observance before you open the schedule
We are still loading the exact observance window for this year.
Observed on
Loading date
Primary window
Sandhya Arghya Muhurat
Festival length
4 days of observance
Festival Significance
Why this observance stays alive in memory
Chhath Puja is an ancient Hindu festival dedicated to the Sun God (Surya) and Chhathi Maiya. Predominantly celebrated in Bihar, Jharkhand, UP, and Nepal, devotees offer prayers to the setting and rising sun standing in water.
Ritual path
Rituals
36-hour nirjala fast. Prepare thekua and prasad. Evening arghya to setting sun at a river or pond. Early morning arghya to rising sun. Breaking of fast after usha arghya.
Discipline
Fasting
One of the most rigorous fasts in Hinduism — 36 hours without food or water. Devotees stand in water for extended periods offering prayers.
In Varanasi
Where the city adds its own colour
Chhath Puja transforms Varanasi's ghats into a spectacular scene. Thousands of devotees line every ghat along the Ganga. The evening and morning arghya at Dashashwamedh, Assi, and Tulsi Ghat are the most crowded.