Where even the setting sun is honoured
Chhath is a four-day folk festival of worship for Surya, the Sun God, and Chhathi Maiya. It falls on Kartik Shukla Shashthi — the word "Chhath" itself comes from Shashthi, the sixth day. From Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Nepal's Terai to migrant families across the world, it is one of the great gatherings of faith.
Centuries-old legends of devotion, sacrifice and reverence for the Sun.
King Priyavrat, son of the first Manu Swayambhuva, had no child. On sage Kashyap's advice he performed a Putrakameshti yajna, but Queen Malini gave birth to a stillborn son. Grief-stricken, the king was about to end his life when Devasena, Brahma's mind-born daughter, known as Shashthi Devi, appeared. At her touch the child came alive. The king vowed to spread her worship on earth — and Chhathi Maiya has been revered as the protector of children ever since.
In the Mahabharata, Karna is the son of Surya and became king of Anga (today's Bhagalpur region). Tradition says he stood in water and offered arghya to the rising Sun — the Chhath arghya of today echoes that practice.
The legend says Draupadi and the Pandavas observed the Chhath vow to regain their lost kingdom, drawing courage and strength from the worship of the Sun.
Folk belief holds that after the victory over Ravana and the return to Ayodhya, Rama and Sita kept the vow of Sun worship on Kartik Shukla Shashthi. In Munger, Bihar, people believe Sita observed Chhath there; the footprints at Sita Charan Mandir are the emblem of that memory.
According to one Puranic tale, Krishna's son Samba was healed through worship of the Sun. Tradition credits Samba with founding the Kandaha Surya Mandir in Bihar's Saharsa district.
"Chhath" is a form of the word Shashthi. It is also a post-harvest festival — gratitude to the Sun for the new crop. Sun worship goes back to the Vedas; there is no single answer to who observed Chhath first.
A four-day journey of purity, discipline and devotion
A ritual bath and a thorough cleaning of home and kitchen. One sattvik meal — commonly bottle-gourd with rice and chana dal, cooked without onion or garlic, with rock salt.
A day-long fast, broken after sunset with jaggery kheer and roti, offered first and then eaten. From here begins the roughly 36-hour waterless fast.
Soop and daura are filled with thekua, fruit, sugarcane and coconut. At the ghat, devotees stand in water and offer arghya to the setting Sun, as folk songs fill the air and lamps light the water.
Before dawn, devotees gather at the ghat and offer arghya to the rising Sun. Then comes parana — breaking the fast — and sharing prasad.
Six core pillars of this sacred festival
The Sun is the source of life and energy — the "pratyaksha devata", the god we can actually see. Chhath is thanks for that gift.
Chhathi Maiya is revered as guardian of children and giver of long life.
Sattvik food, a demanding fast, scrupulous cleanliness — a vow of body-and-mind purification.
Bamboo soop and daura, clay lamps and stove, seasonal fruit and sugarcane — all from nature, and a thanksgiving for the season's harvest.
Everyone stands together at the ghat; neither a priest nor a temple is considered essential.
Offering arghya to the setting Sun is a reminder that every sunset leads to a sunrise.
Lists vary from home to home — tick what applies to you.
At the office, in a hostel, in another city or abroad — and not able to reach home this time? Chhath travels with you. With no river nearby, a clean tub, a garden pool or a community-made pond will do — the sincerity of the arghya matters more than the size of the water. Check the exact sunset and sunrise for your city, gather your samagri (flour, jaggery, sugarcane, coconut, bamboo daura) early — it can run out near the festival — and take care for safety while standing in water.
Play the songs — let the ghat come to youA Chhath morning or evening is incomplete without these voices.
(1952–2024)
"Bihar Kokila"; folk singer in Maithili and Bhojpuri. Padma Shri (1991), Padma Bhushan (2018), Padma Vibhushan (2025, posthumous).
Legendary playback singer whose soothing renditions of Chhath songs resonate in every household.
Acclaimed Bhojpuri singer whose deeply devotional Chhath tracks are cherished by millions.
Popular folk vocalist whose high-energy and emotive Chhath songs echo across every ghat.
Folk and playback icon carrying forward the rustic musical heritage of Bhikhari Thakur and Chhath traditions.
Renowned artist celebrated for her soulful Bahangiya renditions that touch every devotee's heart.
Dynamic contemporary voices bringing freshness and festive warmth to Koshi rituals.
Beloved folk artist whose classical folk phrasing remains an indelible part of the festival.
Vedic & Puranic verses honoring the Sun and Shashthi Devi
The Sun as the soul of all.
The wondrous host of rays has risen — the eye of Mitra, Varuna and Agni. The Sun has filled heaven, earth and the space between; he is the soul of all that moves and all that stands still.
देवताओं की अद्भुत किरण-सेना उदित हुई है — जो मित्र, वरुण और अग्नि की आँख है। सूर्य ने द्युलोक, पृथ्वी और अंतरिक्ष को अपने तेज से भर दिया; वही चर और अचर सम्पूर्ण जगत् की आत्मा हैं।
Counted among traditional arghya mantras for the Sun.
Through the dark realm, setting all beings, immortal and mortal, to their tasks, the god Savita travels in his golden chariot, beholding all the worlds.
सविता देव अंधकारमय अंतरिक्ष से होकर, अमर और मरणशील सबको अपने-अपने कर्म में लगाते हुए, स्वर्णिम रथ पर सभी लोकों को देखते हुए चलते हैं।
We meditate on the adorable radiance of the divine Savita; may he inspire our minds.
हम उस सविता देव के वरेण्य तेज का ध्यान करते हैं; वे हमारी बुद्धियों को सही दिशा में प्रेरित करें।
Some texts read "māṃ deva" in place of "māṃ bhaktyā".
O Sun of a thousand rays, mass of radiance, lord of the world — come, be gracious to me in my devotion, and accept my arghya, O maker of the day.
हे सहस्र किरणों वाले, तेज के पुंज, जगत् के स्वामी सूर्य! आइए, भक्ति से मुझ पर कृपा कीजिए और हे दिवाकर, मेरा अर्घ्य स्वीकार कीजिए।
Sage Agastya's counsel to Rama.
Worship Surya — radiant with rays, ever rising, saluted by gods and demons alike, the shining one, lord of the worlds.
किरणों से सुशोभित, नित्य उदय होने वाले, देवताओं और असुरों द्वारा नमस्कृत, विवस्वान, भास्कर और भुवनेश्वर सूर्य की पूजा करो।
In folk speech, Shashthi Devi is "Chhathi Maiya".
She who is the sixth part of Prakriti is known as Shashthi — presiding goddess of children, Vishnumaya, bestower of children and long life, nurse and protector, a perfected yogini who ever stays beside the child.
जो प्रकृति का छठा अंश हैं, वे षष्ठी कहलाती हैं — बालकों की अधिष्ठात्री देवी, विष्णुमाया, संतान देने वाली, बालकों को आयु देने वाली, उनका पालन और रक्षा करने वाली, योग से सिद्ध योगिनी, जो सदा शिशु के पास रहती हैं।
Answers to key questions about Chhath Puja dates, customs, and history
May all be happy, may all be free from illness, may all see what is auspicious, may no one suffer.
The ghat may be far; the faith is not.