October – November
Chhath Puja
Gratitude to the Sun
Cosmic Communion and Sacred Simplicity
Chhath Puja is an ancient Vedic festival of profound environmental consciousness, physical discipline, and spiritual purity. Dedicated to Surya, the Sun God who sustains all earthly life, and his consort Usha (or Chhathi Maiya, the sixth form of Prakriti), Chhath is unique in its total absence of priestly intermediaries, commercial paraphernalia, or idol worship.
Over four grueling days of ritual austerity, devotees (Vratis) undertake a continuous 36-hour waterless fast (Nirjala). The festival reaches its zenith along the mist-laden banks of rivers, lakes, and ponds, where families gather with bamboo baskets overflowing with nature’s harvest—tender sugarcane, ginger shoots, coconuts, raw turmeric, and golden-baked thekua. By offering obeisance first to the setting sun and then to the rising dawn, Chhath teaches an indelible life philosophy: to honor the cycles of life, the fading light as much as the rising dawn, in unconditioned reverence.
How it is celebrated across India
Explore the distinct customs and mythological roots across 4 diverse regions:
Nahay Khay & Kharna
The austere beginning of the four-day festival. Vratis (devotees) bathe in holy water, consume a single sacred meal of bottle gourd curry, followed on Kharna by a 36-hour waterless fast and offering of jaggery kheer.
Sandhya Arghya
A rare ritual honoring the setting sun. Devotees stand waist-deep in river waters at dusk, offering bamboo winnowing trays (soop) loaded with fresh seasonal harvests, thekua, and sugarcane to Lord Surya and Chhathi Maiya.
Usha Arghya
At the crack of dawn, as the first rays of the morning sun touch the sacred waters, devotees make their final arghya offerings. Prayers are whispered for health, longevity, and generational prosperity before breaking the fast.
Koshi & Thekua offerings
Families assemble illuminated pyramids of 24 sugarcane stalks called Koshi over earthen lamps at night. The pristine handmade wheat, ghee, and jaggery delicacy 'Thekua' is prepared over clay stoves with sacred purity.
Festival Painted Wallpaper
Chhathi Maiya Twilight Arghya
Download this bespoke fine art wallpaper celebrating Chhath Puja. Rendered in exquisite Indian fine-art aesthetics, ready for your desktop, tablet, or 4K display.