Post-Diwali celebrations, people start preparing for Chhath, an Indo-Nepalese festival in which devotees worship the Sun God. It is quite popular in Jharkhand, Bihar, and eastern Uttar Pradesh where people gather in hundreds and thousands to show gratitude to the Sun for all it offers and Prakriti (Surya’s sister or Chhathi Mata) for bestowing devotees with bounties and granting their wishes.
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Celebrated six days after Diwali, the rituals continue for four days and three nights. Devotees bathe early in the morning, stand in water, abstain from drinking water and food, pray, and offer arghya (water) to the setting and rising sun.
Chhath Puja 2024: Date And Time
This year, the celebrations will begin on November 5, 2024, and culminate on November 8, 2024. The celebration is crucial for parents because many believe that if parents fast for their kids, Chhathi Mata will grant their wishes and keep their children healthy.
Nahay Khay: November 5, 2024, from 6:36 AM till 5:33 PM
Kharna: November 6, 2024 from 6:37 AM to 5:32 PM
Sandhya Arghya: November 7, 2024, from 6:38 AM to 5:32 PM
Usha Arghya: November 8, 2024 from 6:38 AM to 5:31 PM
Chhath Puja: Traditional Food Preparations
Any veneration among Hindus is believed to be incomplete without food. Mythologically, devotees invoke Gods, offer them savouries, sweets, and water, and seek their blessings. Similarly, when observing the fast for Chhath, people prepare a few delicacies to offer to the Sun God and Chhathi Mata.
Thekua
Thekua is a dry sweet prepared using coconut, wheat flour, ghee, and sugar syrup. It is prepared on the second day of the celebration to offer to the Sun God. The delight is often given the shape of a leaf and deep-fried until the crust turns crispy. Later, it is stored in an airtight container.
Hara Chana
Another popular and traditional dish prepared during Chhath celebration is hara chana or chana ki ghuguni. It is a part of the special Chhath thali. Chana is soaked overnight and cooked in spices, ghee, sendha namak, and tomatoes the next day. Garnish it with coriander leaves before serving.
Ghiya Sabzi & Rice
Ghiya is a bottle gourd, and it is prepared in an earthen pot or chulha using ghee. If you are someone who does not like the dish, you must try it during Chhath. Many people even cook it using Gangajal (holy water from the Ganga River). When paired with rice, the combination symbolises the purification of the body.
Kasar
Kasar is a sweet dish in which a mixture of either wheat flour or rice is prepared using ghee and jaggery. When it is binding, small lemon-sized ladoos are prepared. These are supposed to keep you warm as the weather after Diwali changes.
Kaddu Bhaat
In some households, kaddu is prepared instead of bottle gourd. Sendha namak or Himalayan salt is used to prepare this savoury dish which is served with rice or deep-fried poori. People offer it to Gods and Goddesses before breaking their fast with it.