After the celebrations of Diwali 2021, people started gearing up for another four-day festival - Chhath Puja 2021. The markets are loaded with colourful things. Today (November 8) marks the beginning of the festivities and will continue till 11th November. Chhath Puja is celebrated every year, 6 days after Diwali. Special prayers are offered to Lord Surya. Chhath Mahaparv is specially celebrated in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand. Know every information related to the four-day-long Chhath festival, dates of Chhath Puja, time of sunrise and sunset, offerings and fast story.
Chhath Puja 2021 Day 1: Nahay Khay
The first day of Chhath Puja begins with Nahay Khay. On this day, the devotees take a bath and wear new clothes. Other members of the family eat food only after the women who have fasted the entire day have eaten. This time, the sunrise is at 6.42 am in the morning and the sunset at 5:27 pm in the evening.
Chhath Puja 2021 Day 2: Kharna
The second day of Chhath Puja is called Kharna. The 36-hour fast ends when Ardhya is offered to the rising sun. Therefore, after taking a bath in the evening and wearing clean clothes, women break their fast with kheer which is made of gud and awra chawal. This is offered as prasad to Chhathi Maiya and Lord Surya. Apart from this, radish and banana are also kept as prasad.
Kharna will be celebrated on 9th November. On the evening of Kharna, thekua are also made for the prasad and the deities are worshipped with fruits and vegetables. On this day, the sunrise will be at 6.40 am in the morning and the sunset will be at 5:40 pm in the evening.
Chhath Puja 2021 Day 3: Devotees offer 'sandhya arghya'
Arghya is offered to the setting sun in the evening on the third day of Chhath Mahaparva. This time, the evening arghya will be given on November 10. On this day women observe a Nirjala fast for the whole day and offer Arghya to the setting sun in the evening. There is a tradition of offering Arghya to the Sun in a river or pond on this day. Many times people also follow the tradition of offering Arghya to the sun by filling water in the pit in the park located in front of their house.
Chhath Puja 2021 Day 4: Arghya to the rising sun
Arghya is offered to the rising sun on the fourth day of the Chhath festival. After offering Arghya, people sit on the ghat and offer their prayers, then prasad is given to the people around. This time Arghya will be offered to the rising sun on November 11.
