Udisha
Chhath Puja is a four-day Hindu festival and it begins on the sixth day of the month of Kartik. This year, it will be celebrated from October 25 to October 28, 2025.
Chhath is celebrated in honour of the Surya Dev or the Sun God and is also known as Surya Sashthi. It is also dedicated to Chhathi Maiyya, a goddess of prosperity.
The four days of the festival have specific names: Nahaye Khaye, Kharna, Sandhya Arghya and Usha Arghya. Each day has specific rituals such as fasting and praying to the rising or setting sun.
Chhath Puja has a very strict fasting ritual, usually taking place on the second day. Devotees are required to fast upto 36 hours, that too without drinking even a drop of water.
Chhath Puja does not require a priest like other Hindu religious festivals. Devotees pay their offerings to the sun on their own without any need for rituals.