The Four-Day Journey of Devotion
Chhath Puja is not a single-day event; it is an elaborate four-day festival characterized by strict discipline, immense purity, and unwavering devotion. Each day has a specific name, set of rituals, and distinct culinary traditions.
Day 1: Nahay Khay (The Day of Purification)
The festival begins with Nahay Khay (literally "Bathe and Eat"). The Vrati (the person observing the fast) takes a holy dip in a river to purify themselves physically and spiritually. The house is thoroughly cleaned. The Vrati consumes a single, pure vegetarian meal, usually consisting of bottle gourd (kaddu) vegetable, chana dal, and rice cooked on a traditional mud stove.
Day 2: Kharna (The Day of Preparation)
The second day, Kharna, marks the beginning of the rigorous fasting period. The Vrati observes a fast without water for the entire day. In the evening, a special prasad of Rasiyaw (kheer made with jaggery, milk, and rice) and roti is cooked. After offering this to the deity in isolation, the Vrati consumes it, beginning the 36-hour Nirjala (waterless) fast.
Day 3: Sandhya Arghya (The Evening Offering)
This is the most visually spectacular day of the festival. Devotees prepare large bamboo baskets (daura) and soops filled with fruits, thekua, sugarcane, and coconuts. In the late afternoon, the entire family heads to the banks of a river or pond. The Vrati stands waist-deep in the water and offers Arghya to the setting sun. This honors the setting sun (Pratyusha) and thanks it for its life-sustaining energy.
Day 4: Usha Arghya (The Morning Offering)
Before dawn on the final day, families return to the riverbank. The Vrati again stands in the water, waiting for the sun to rise. As the first rays of the sun (Usha) appear, the final Arghya is offered. The Vrati then breaks their 36-hour fast by consuming ginger and water, marking the successful completion of the Chhath Puja.
The original article text is preserved from the supplied Chhath Puja collection. Navigation, summaries, imagery and clearly labeled editorial notes were added for this edition.