Chhath puja is a festival dedicated to the Sun God, Surya and Chhathi Maiya, Usha (wife of Surya). It is celebrated on the sixth day of the month of Kartik (October-November) after Diwali. Rituals span over four days and devotees go without food and water. Chhath is mainly characterized by riverside rituals in which Sun God or Surya is worshiped, giving it the name of ‘Suryasasthi‘. Chhath Puja is also known as Surya Shashti, Chhathi and Dala Chhath. The Sun God, Surya, the god of energy and of the life-force, is worshiped during the Chhath Puja to promote well-being, prosperity and progress. The festival is native to Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh and is also celebrated in Nepal.

The epic Ramayana refers that the festival being celebrated by Sita after Lord Ram’s return to Ayodhya and epic Mahabharta refers for Draupadi also. It has also Vedic roots in which Goddesses Usha is mentioned and hence, several mantras are dedicated to her. It is also folk belief that puja was firstly started by Surya Putra Karn.

The first day is known as ‘Nahay khay’ or ‘Arwa Arwain’ when devotees take a dip in a river or a pond in the morning and purifies the surroundings of house with Ganga Jal or same water. Devotees have only one meal on this day i.e. Kaddu-bhat. Kaddu-bhat is cooked in the bronze or soil utensils by using mango wood fire over soil stove.

Second day is known as ‘Lohanda and Kharna’, when women observe fast for the whole day, breaking it only after worship of the sun God with Rasiao-kheer, puris and fruits at the time of sunset. After breaking fast, there begins a 36-hour long fast again, during which they are not even allowed a sip of water.

Third Day of Chhath Puja is known as ‘Sanjhiya Arghya’. The devotees offer Sanjhiya Arghya at the riverside (bank of river) and after that they wore turmeric colour saree. In the night, the devotee celebrates the vibrant event of filling Kosi, known as Kosia Bharai, by lighting clay diyas under the five sugarcane stick with folk song of Chhathi Maiya. This sugarcane stick represents the Panchatattva i.e. Earth, Air, water, fire and Space.

On the fourth and final day of Chhath Puja, devotees along with family and friends gather around the same river or pond and offer ‘Usha arghya’ (morning offerings), also known as Bihaniya Aragh, to the rising sun God. It is only after this puja that the worshippers break their fast with Chhath Puja Prasad.