Chhath Puja: The Four Days, Their Meaning and Gifts That Glow
Khilauna Team · · 5 min read
Chhath Puja is one of the oldest and most loved festivals of Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Today it is celebrated wherever families from these places live, from Delhi and Mumbai to Nepal and far beyond. It falls six days after Diwali, and for four days homes and riverbanks are filled with prayer, folk songs and the glow of diyas.
In this post we look at what Chhath Puja is, how the four days are celebrated, and a few thoughtful ways to bring its light into your home or give it to someone you love.
What is Chhath Puja?
Chhath Puja is a festival of thanks to Surya Dev, the Sun God, and to Chhathi Maiya. People pray for the health, happiness and long life of their family. What makes Chhath special is how simple and pure it is. There are no idols at the ghat. Devotees stand in the water and offer arghya to the sun itself, first as it sets and then as it rises.
The festival is known for its discipline. Many women, and men too, keep a strict fast, cook the prasad with great care at home, and keep the house and kitchen spotless during these days.
The four days of Chhath
Day 1: Nahay Khay. The day starts with a holy bath, often in a river or pond. The home is cleaned and the person keeping the fast eats one simple, sattvik meal, usually lauki (bottle gourd), chana dal and rice cooked without onion or garlic.
Day 2: Kharna. The devotee fasts through the day. In the evening, after prayers, they eat kheer made with jaggery and rice, along with roti, and share it as prasad with family and neighbours. After this begins the long fast without water, which lasts until the last morning.
Day 3: Sandhya Arghya. This is the evening of the setting sun. Families walk to the ghat carrying the daura and soop, bamboo baskets filled with thekua, sugarcane, coconut, bananas and other seasonal fruits. Standing in the water, the devotee offers arghya to the setting sun while everyone around sings Chhath songs. The ghat glows with hundreds of diyas.
Day 4: Usha Arghya. Before dawn, everyone returns to the ghat and waits for the first light. Arghya is offered to the rising sun, prayers are made for the family, and the fast is finally broken. Prasad, especially thekua, is shared with everyone.
The symbols of Chhath
If you have been to a Chhath ghat, you will remember the same beautiful things every year:
- The sun over the water, at sunset and at sunrise
- The soop and daura, bamboo baskets full of offerings
- Thekua, the sweet made from wheat flour, jaggery and ghee
- Sugarcane standing tall at the ghat
- Diyas floating and glowing along the water
- The devotee in the water, hands folded, offering arghya
These are the images that stay with us long after the festival is over. That is why we love decor that carries them home.
Bring the glow of Chhath home
Our Chhath Puja lamps are made from clear acrylic with the scene engraved on it, set in a wooden base with a warm white LED. When you switch them on, every line of the drawing glows softly, just like the diyas at the ghat. They look lovely in the puja room, on a side table, or as a gentle light at night.
This lamp shows a devotee standing in the water with a coconut, the sun over the river and sugarcane beside her, with "Jai Chhathi Maiya" written on top. You can also ask for your own picture on the panel.
This one has an arch-shaped panel with a devotee holding a basket of fruits and offerings, the sun and sugarcane behind her, and the same "Jai Chhathi Maiya" greeting.
Gifts for your family this Chhath
Chhath is a time when families come together, often travelling home from other cities. If you are visiting your parents, in-laws or grandparents, a small gift that will light up their home every evening is a sweet way to say thank you.
A wooden box light is a good choice for the mandir. This Shri Laxmi Yantra light gives a warm glow that suits evening prayers.
For homes with little ones, Bal Krishna and Bal Ganesh together in a wooden box light is a cheerful pick.
And for a mother, this lamp of Maa Yashoda with little Krishna is a gentle reminder of a mother's love, something Chhath is all about.
You can see more designs in our devotional lamps collection, with Krishna, Ganesha, Durga, Ram Lalla and more.
Make it personal
If you want a gift that is truly one of a kind, choose a lamp with a photo or names engraved on it. A family photo lamp makes a lovely memory of the time everyone spent together during the festival. Browse our personalised lamps to see the options.
A few tips for a peaceful Chhath
- Plan the prasad shopping early. Jaggery, wheat flour, ghee, fruits and sugarcane sell out fast in the last days.
- Keep a torch or a small light handy for the walk to the ghat before dawn.
- Carry a shawl for the morning arghya. November mornings by the water can be cold.
- If you cannot go home this year, video call your family at the ghat so you can join in the prayers.
- When you order gifts online, check the delivery time and order a few days early.
From all of us at Khilauna, we wish you and your family a very happy Chhath Puja. Jai Chhathi Maiya!
