Chhath Puja, also known as Surya Shashthi or Mahāparv Chhath, is one of India’s oldest and most spiritually significant festivals. Celebrated primarily in Bihar, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Nepal, the festival honors Surya Dev (the Sun God) and Chhathi Maiya, the mother goddess believed to bless devotees with health, prosperity, and longevity.
What makes Chhath unique is its deep connection to ancient Vedic traditions, epic legends, and folk spirituality. This four-day festival beautifully blends solar worship, nature reverence, and maternal devotion, making it a powerful symbol of gratitude and purity.
Vedic Roots: The Solar Worship Tradition
The practice of worshipping the Sun in India dates back thousands of years to the Vedic age. In the Rigveda, Surya is described as the visible form of divine energy — the one who sustains life, drives seasons, and dispels darkness.
Chhath Puja continues this tradition in a pure, unbroken form. Devotees offer “arghya” (libations) to both the setting and rising sun, symbolizing the cycle of life — from dusk to dawn, from gratitude to renewal. The absence of idols in Chhath Puja reflects the Vedic belief in direct communion with nature, where the Sun is worshipped not as a distant deity but as a living force of light and vitality.
The Legend of Chhathi Maiya
Central to Chhath Puja is the reverence of Chhathi Maiya, a compassionate mother goddess believed to be a manifestation of Shashthi Devi — the divine protector of children and fertility.
According to an ancient legend, King Priyavrata and Queen Malini longed for a child. Their prayers were answered when Chhathi Maiya appeared and blessed them with a son. In gratitude, they performed rituals to honor her, which later evolved into what we now know as Chhath Puja.
Chhathi Maiya represents nurturing energy, maternal strength, and nature’s sixth element (Shashthi) — often depicted as the subtle balance between creation and preservation.
Epic Connections: Chhath in the Ramayana and Mahabharata
In the Ramayana
In the Ramayana, it is believed that after returning to Ayodhya from exile, Sita observed a Sun-vow (Surya Shashthi Vrata) during the month of Kartik. She performed rituals by offering arghya to the setting and rising sun, seeking divine blessings for family well-being and peace. This act is often seen as the earliest symbolic observance of Chhath Puja.
In the Mahabharata
The Mahabharata also echoes solar devotion. Karna, the son of Surya, was known for his daily prayers to the Sun, drawing immense power and courage from his father’s blessings. Similarly, Kunti, Karna’s mother, is said to have invoked the Sun to bless her with strength and endurance.
Another tradition speaks of Draupadi observing the Chhath ritual during her exile to seek divine intervention for the Pandavas’ safety. These epic tales associate Chhath with honor, devotion, and unwavering faith, values that continue to define the festival today.
The Four Sacred Days of Chhath Puja
Chhath Puja is celebrated for four consecutive days — each symbolizing purification, discipline, and devotion.
- Nahay Khay (First Day):
Devotees begin by bathing in sacred rivers or ponds, cleaning their homes, and eating only pure, home-cooked food to purify the body. - Kharna or Lohanda (Second Day):
Observers observe a full-day fast, breaking it at sunset with gur ki kheer and roti, and then begin a 36-hour nirjala (waterless) fast. - Sandhya Arghya (Third Day):
The most visually stunning part of Chhath. Devotees gather on riverbanks to offer arghya to the setting sun, accompanied by traditional folk songs and lamps (diya) floating on water. - Usha Arghya (Fourth Day):
The fast concludes at dawn after offering prayers to the rising sun, signifying renewal, hope, and the victory of light over darkness.
Why Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh Became the Heart of Chhath Puja
The Ganga plains of Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh provided fertile ground for Chhath’s evolution. The abundance of rivers, ponds, and ghats made these regions natural settings for sun worship.
Ancient Sun temples, such as the Deo Surya Mandir in Aurangabad (Bihar) and the Markandeya Dham in Uttar Pradesh, reflect centuries of solar reverence. The festival’s rituals align closely with the agrarian lifestyle of these regions — offering gratitude for a good harvest and praying for balance in nature.
Over centuries, Chhath Puja transcended caste and community, becoming a unifying cultural identity for people of Bihar and Eastern UP. Even today, millions of migrants from these states celebrate Chhath across India and abroad, turning city lakes and artificial ponds into sacred ghats.
The Dual Arghya: A Symbol of Balance
One of Chhath Puja’s most profound spiritual aspects is the offering of two arghyas — one to the setting sun and another to the rising sun.
This dual worship embodies the cycle of gratitude — acknowledging the end of one day (letting go of the past) and welcoming the dawn of a new one (embracing the future). It symbolizes balance, humility, and eternal continuity — the rhythm of life itself.
Beyond Religion: Chhath as a Way of Life
Chhath is more than a festival — it’s a discipline, a meditation, and a dialogue between humanity and nature.
- Ecological Value: Devotees clean rivers and ponds before rituals, promoting environmental awareness.
- Spiritual Purity: Fasting, self-restraint, and devotion foster mental clarity and humility.
- Community Harmony: People of all backgrounds come together, turning neighborhoods into sacred spaces of shared faith.
- Women’s Empowerment: Women lead most rituals, symbolizing strength, endurance, and nurturing power.
Chhath, therefore, is not just a ritual of offerings — it’s a profound expression of gratitude, sustainability, and faith in the cosmic order.
Chhath Puja’s origins lie in humanity’s oldest instinct — to worship the Sun, the eternal source of life. From Vedic hymns to epic legends, from ancient kings to village devotees, its story is one of faith, endurance, and connection with nature.
In Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh, this Mahāparv has grown from a humble sun-vow into a magnificent celebration of light, discipline, motherhood, and unity.
Every evening when countless lamps glow on riverbanks, and the first rays of dawn touch folded hands, Chhath reminds us of a timeless truth — that gratitude to nature is the highest form of devotion.
