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Chhath: Usha Arghya

Surya dev

  • Puja vidhi
  • 6 Wishes to send
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Chhath: Usha Arghya

Why it is celebrated

At dawn on Kartik Shukla Saptami, those keeping the vrat return to the ghat and offer arghya to the rising sun. Then they take prasad and break the nearly 36-hour fast without water; this is called paran. With this, the four-day Chhath festival is complete.

The story

The Van Parva of the Mahabharata tells this story. When the Pandavas lost their kingdom in a game of dice and left for the forest, many brahmins came along with them. Yudhishthir worried about how he would feed so many people in the forest.

The family priest, the sage Dhaumya, told him to worship Surya Dev, because the Sun is the source of food and life. Yudhishthir bathed and worshipped Surya Dev with a pure heart.

Pleased, Surya Dev appeared and gave him a copper vessel, the Akshaya Patra. He said that each day, until Draupadi had eaten, the vessel would keep giving food for everyone. Through the years of exile, every guest who came was fed from that vessel.

As they offer arghya to the rising sun, those keeping the vrat remember this same gratitude: we bow to Surya Dev, who gives us light, warmth and food.

Puja vidhi

  1. Before dawn, those keeping the vrat and their families reach the ghat with the daura of prasad.
  2. Standing in the water facing east, wait for sunrise and meditate on Chhathi Maiya.
  3. As the sun rises, offer arghya with milk and water poured over the soop.
  4. Worship Chhathi Maiya at the ghat and share thekua and fruit prasad with everyone.
  5. Family members touch the feet of the person who kept the vrat and take their blessings.
  6. The person keeping the vrat breaks the fast (paran) with ginger, jaggery or prasad and water.

Food

Ginger, jaggery, thekua and fruit for the paran; then a simple home-cooked meal.

Wishes to send

  • With arghya to the rising sun, Chhath is complete. Pranam and warm wishes to everyone who kept the vrat!

  • May the first ray of dawn bring new energy and new hope into your life. Jai Chhathi Maiya!

  • May Surya Dev's blessings always keep your home bright. Happy Chhath Puja!

  • Four days of devotion are complete today. May Chhathi Maiya accept the faith of all who kept the vrat.

  • Walking home from the ghat, thekua in hand and peace in the heart. Blessed Usha Arghya!

  • May Chhathi Maiya always keep your family in the shade of her motherly love.

For your status

  • Bowing to the rising sun.

  • Chhath complete, heart content. Jai Chhathi Maiya.

  • Dawn arghya, a new beginning.

Festivals