Chaiti Chhath (Sandhya Arghya) 2027

Puja Vidhi

Who Should Do This Vrat?

• Vratis (Devotees): Women, and in many families men too, keep this strict fast for the health, long life, and prosperity of their children and family.
• Women Desiring Children: Childless couples also observe this vrat to seek the blessings of Chhathi Maiya for offspring (Santan Prapti).

When Should This Be Performed?

• Morning Preparation: Begin the day with a bath and the sankalp; the fast is kept without food or water through the day (many families keep it as Nirjala).
• Preparing the Prasad: The Thekua and other offerings are prepared in the afternoon in a clean kitchen.
• Sandhya Arghya: The Arghya to the setting Sun is offered in the evening at sunset, at the riverbank or pond, and the rites close in Pradosh Kaal (the period after sunset). Check the sunset time for your city on this page.
• Closing the Evening: Return home with the offerings and sing devotional songs through the evening.

About the Festival

Chaiti Chhath is a deeply revered observance of eastern India, especially Bihar and Jharkhand, in which devotees worship Surya Dev (the Sun God) and Chhathi Maiya with a strict fast and offering of Arghya. It takes place on the Shashthi (sixth day) of the Shukla Paksha in the month of Chaitra.

The Vrat Katha (Story of Chhathi Maiya)

Once upon a time, there lived a king named Priyavrat, whose queen Malini was dear to him, but the royal couple had no child. Deeply grieved, the king consulted the sage Kashyap, who performed a sacred Putreshti Yagya and gave the queen the sacred offering of the yagya to eat.

In due time the queen gave birth to a son, but the child was stillborn. The king and queen were overcome with grief. The king carried the body to the cremation ground, and wept bitterly, ready to give up his own life.

At that moment, the Goddess Devasena, known as Shashthi, appeared before him in a radiant form, and said: "I am Shashthi, the protector of children. Worship me with full devotion, observe a fast, and spread this practice among your people." The king followed her advice wholeheartedly, and on Shashthi observed a strict vrat and worshipped her, and his child was returned to him alive. Since that day, devotees have observed the Chhath fast to seek the blessings of Chhathi Maiya for their children.

Samagri List (Items Needed)

Gather these items before heading for the evening puja:

• Soop & Daura: Bamboo winnowing trays (Soop) and a bamboo basket (Daura) to carry the offerings
• Tilak & Sacred Powder: Roli, Kumkum, Akshat (unbroken rice grains), and Sindoor
• Lamps & Lights: Clay Diyas with Ghee and cotton wicks
• Sacred Water Container: A brass or copper vessel filled with fresh water or milk for Arghya
• Food Offerings (Naivedya): Thekua, Kasar (sweet rice laddu), and seasonal fruits such as banana, coconut, and citrus
• Devotional Accessories: Whole sugarcane stalks, flowers, Kalava (sacred red thread), and Kosi (small clay elephant with lamps, where used)

Puja Vidhi (Step-by-Step Guide)

Follow these step-by-step instructions carefully to perform the ritual correctly:

Step 1: Morning Preparation and Sankalp

1. Wake up early during Brahma Muhurta, bathe, and wear clean, unstitched or freshly washed clothes.
2. Take a small amount of water in your right palm and take a Sankalp (solemn vow): "O Surya Dev and Chhathi Maiya, today I observe this fast for the health, long life, and wellbeing of my children and family. Grant me the strength to complete this vow with pure devotion."
3. Observe the fast throughout the day, usually without food or water, until the evening Arghya is offered.

Step 2: Preparing the Prasad (Afternoon)

1. Clean the kitchen thoroughly, and cook the prasad using fresh, unbroken ingredients, without salt, garlic, or onion.
2. Prepare Thekua and Kasar, usually on a clay or earthen stove, while singing Chhath songs.
3. Arrange the prasad, fruits, and sugarcane in the Soop and the Daura.

Step 3: Preparing the Offerings and Setting Out

1. Lighting the Lamp: Light a Ghee Diya at the home altar.
2. Applying Tilak: Apply Roli, Kumkum, and Akshat to the Soop and the Daura.
3. Offering Flowers & Threads: Offer fresh flowers and tie a piece of Kalava (red thread) around the Daura.
4. Setting Out: Family members carry the Daura on their heads, walk barefoot to the riverbank or pond, and maintain silence or sing devotional songs along the way.

Step 4: Standing in the Water and Offering the Soop

1. Enter the water up to your waist or knees, facing the setting Sun.
2. Place the offerings in the Soop and hold it in your hands, while family members light the Diyas on the bank.
3. Pray silently to Chhathi Maiya and Surya Dev with folded hands.

Step 5: Sandhya Arghya (Setting Sun)

1. Take the water or milk in the vessel and offer Arghya to the setting Sun, pouring it slowly in a thin stream.
2. Turn around slowly in the water, offering Arghya in all directions and bowing to the Sun.
3. Pray for the long life and happiness of your children, and sing the traditional Chhath songs.

Step 6: Seeking Blessings and Closing the Evening

1. Touch the feet of the elders in your family to seek their blessings (Charan Sparsh).
2. Return home with the Daura and keep it safely for the next morning's Arghya (Usha Arghya).
3. Continue the fast and sit up through the night, singing devotional songs, until the morning Arghya.