Chhath Puja 2025: Dates, Rituals, Significance & Celebration

Chhath Puja is a deeply revered Hindu festival, primarily celebrated in Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, and Nepal, dedicated to Surya Dev (the Sun God) and Chhathi Maiya, symbolizing nature’s energy and life-giving power. In 2025, the festival will be observed from October 25 to October 28, spanning four days filled with rituals that emphasize purity, devotion, and harmony with the natural world.

Significance of Chhath Puja

This ancient Vedic festival honors the sun as the source of all life and energy on earth. It is a festival of gratitude where devotees seek blessings for health, prosperity, longevity, and family well-being. Rooted in Hindu epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata, stories recount Lord Rama, Draupadi, and Karna performing Chhath Puja to invoke divine blessings, strengthening its spiritual and cultural value.

Key Rituals and Celebrations

The puja unfolds in four stages:

• Nahay Khay (Day 1): Devotees purify themselves by bathing in rivers or ponds and consume a simple sattvic meal prepared without onion or garlic.

• Kharna (Day 2): Observers fast without water throughout the day, breaking the fast after sunset with offerings of jaggery kheer, puris, and bananas, marking the start of a 36-hour nirjala fast.

• Sandhya Arghya (Day 3): Devotees gather along riverbanks, standing waist-deep in water to offer arghya (water offerings) to the setting sun, accompanied by folk songs and offerings including thekua and seasonal fruits.

• Usha Arghya (Day 4): The festival concludes at dawn with prayers offered to the rising sun, after which devotees break their fast sharing prasad with family and community.

Cultural and Environmental Importance

Chhath Puja promotes eco-consciousness as rituals are performed in harmony with natural water bodies, nurturing respect for the environment. It brings communities together in collective prayer and celebration, strengthening social bonds and cultural identity. The fasts and rituals symbolize physical and spiritual cleansing, fostering discipline and inner renewal.

Observance in 2025

Celebrated across India and worldwide by diaspora communities, Chhath Puja 2025 invites millions to embrace the sun’s restorative power through devotion and austerity. The festival combines ancient spirituality with vibrant cultural expressions, offering a unique blend of solemn fasting and joyous communal participation.