1
Day 1: Nahay-Khay (नहाय-खाय)
The Vrati takes a purifying river bath. The house is washed meticulously. Consume only satvik Kaddu-Bhaat (bottle gourd and rice cooked in rock salt and ghee). Absolute cleanliness begins.
Sacred Library (All Pooja Vidhis)अनिवार्यअनिवार्यअनिवार्यअनिवार्यअनिवार्यअनिवार्य
POOJA VIDHI⏱️ Duration: 90 mins
Chhath Puja 4-Day Mahaparva Complete Vidhi (Nahay-Khay to Usha Arghya)
The holiest 4-day solar austerity of Sanatana Dharma observed on Kartik Shukla Chaturthi to Saptami. Characterized by 36-hour waterless fasting (Nirjala), standing in sacred river waters, offering bamboo Soops laden with Thekua, and worshiping both the setting and rising Sun.
Auspicious Timing WindowKartik Shukla Shashthi sunset (Sandhya Arghya) and Saptami sunrise (Usha Arghya).
पूजा आवश्यक सामग्री चेकलिस्ट (Samagri Checklist)
0 of 6 items prepared (0%)Utensils & Clothes
Bamboo Soop (Woven Winnowing Basket)
बांस के सूप एवं डलिया (दौरा) • 2-4 Soops
Pure Unstitched Cotton/Silk Garments (Yellow/Red)
पीला/लाल सूती बिना सिला वस्त्र (धोती/साड़ी) • 1 Set
Offerings & Prasad
Traditional Thekua (Whole wheat, ghee, jaggery)
शुद्ध घी और गुड़ में बना ठेकुआ • 1 Basket
Daabh Lemon (Pomelo Citrus Fruit) & Sugarcane
डाभ नींबू एवं पत्तों सहित साबुत गन्ना • 5 Cane Stalks
Flowers & Leaves
Sprouted Spices, Turmeric Plant & Ginger Stalks
हल्दी एवं अदरक का हरा पौधा • 2 Stalks
Pooja Essentials
Earthen Kalash, Rice Flours, and Ghee Diyas
मिट्टी का चौमुख दीया एवं शुद्ध घी • 1 Set
Step-by-Step Pooja Vidhi
2
Day 2: Kharna / Lohanda (खरना)
Observe a waterless fast from dawn to dusk. In the evening, cook Rasiya (jaggery kheer) on an earthen stove using mango wood. Offer to deities and partake as the only meal before the 36-hour nirjala fast.
3
Day 3: Sandhya Arghya to Setting Sun (संध्या अर्घ्य)
Carry the decorated bamboo basket (Daura) on head to the river ghat singing Chhathi Maiya geet. Stand waist-deep in water holding the soop laden with Thekua and fruits. Offer milk and water arghya to the setting sun.
4
Day 4: Usha Arghya and Paran (उषा अर्घ्य एवं पारण)
Reach the riverbank before dawn. As the red disk of the rising sun emerges, offer the second Arghya with folded hands. Touch the ghat sand, distribute Thekua prasad, and break fast with raw ginger and water.
Dos (Auspicious Actions)
- Maintain supreme, scrupulous physical and mental cleanliness
- Cook all prasad on an earthen stove using dedicated, untouched utensils
- Stand facing the Sun directly while offering the Arghya stream
Don'ts (Things to Avoid)
- Never touch puja items or Thekua with unwashed hands
- No family member may consume onion, garlic, or non-veg food in the house
- Do not taste or smell any prasad before it is offered to Surya Dev
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why is the setting sun worshiped before the rising sun in Chhath Puja?
Sanatana Dharma honors totality—welcoming the dusk teaches gratitude for the day's blessings and reminds us that endings hold the promise of dawn.