Chhath Puja Rituals, Traditions And Strory

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The festival is celebrated over four days. The first day is known as ‘Nahay Khay.’ On this day, a special meal of bottle gourd, lentils, and rice is prepared, offered to the goddess, and then consumed as prasad. The second day is called ‘Kharna,’ during which kheer (rice pudding) is prepared on an earthen stove, offered to the goddess, and then shared as prasad.

The third day is known as ‘Sandhya Arghya,’ when people stand in water in the evening to offer prayers to the setting sun. On the fourth day, known as ‘Pratah Arghya,’ devotees offer water (Gangajal) to the rising sun in the early morning and conclude their fast. The festival spans the Chaturthi, Panchami, Shashti, and Saptami Tithis.

The Chhath Puja fast is observed with prayers for the blessings of children, their well-being, prosperity, and longevity. Devotees believe that by observing this fast, they receive the blessings of Chhathi Maiya and Lord Surya, bringing happiness and prosperity to their families.

Nahay Khay
The first day of Chhath Puja, which falls on Kartik Shukla Chaturthi or Chaitra Shukla Chaturthi, is known ...
... as ‘Nahay Khay.’ On this day, special emphasis is placed on cleaning the home. Women observing the fast go to the nearby Ganga River, its tributaries, or a pond to bathe. They bring back Ganga water with them, which is used in preparing the food. Observing cleanliness and purity, those fasting take a thorough bath, washing their hair with clean water.

On this day, the person observing the fast eats only one meal. The meal consists of a pumpkin vegetable, moong or chana dal (split green gram or chickpeas), and rice, all cooked in bronze or earthen vessels. Mango wood and clay stoves are used for cooking.

Once the food is prepared, the person observing the fast eats first, and only after this do the other family members have their meal.

Kharna
The second day of Chhath Puja, known as 'Kharna,' is celebrated on the Panchami Tithi of the Chaitra or Kartik month. On this day, devotees spend the entire day preparing for the evening ritual with deep devotion, and a special rice pudding (kheer) is made from rice, jaggery, and sugarcane juice.

No salt or sugar is used in preparation. After the kheer is cooked, devotees first worship Chhathi Maiya with devotion, offering her the kheer. After the ritual is complete, the fasting women (who observe the Chhath Puja rituals) consume this jaggery-made kheer in solitude. During this time, the family maintains complete silence, as hearing any noise while eating goes against the rules of the ritual. After the fasting woman has eaten, the same kheer prasad is shared with family members, friends, and relatives.

This entire process is called 'Kharna.' Following this, the women begin a strict waterless fast that lasts for approximately 36 hours. Late at night, they prepare a special prasad known as thekua for Chhath Puja.

Sandhya Arghya
The third day of Chhath Puja, known as 'Sandhya Arghya,' is observed on the Shukla Shashti of Chaitra or Kartik month. Throughout the day, everyone joins together to prepare for the ritual. The prasad and fruits for Chhath Puja are placed in a bamboo basket, known as a "daura," and kept in the prayer area.

After performing the worship at home, the evening ritual begins with placing a coconut, five types of fruits, and other worship materials in a basket, which the male head of the household then carries to the Chhath ghat on his head to keep it pure. On the way to the riverbank, women often sing traditional Chhath songs.

The women gather by the river or pond, sitting on platforms made by a family member. A small clay altar, or "choura," is made from river mud, and worship materials, including a lit lamp and coconuts, are placed on it. Just before sunset, worshippers bring all the offerings and, standing knee-deep in water, offer "Arghya" to the setting sun, circling five times.

One of the main prasad items is "thekua," made from wheat flour and shaped on a specially designed wooden mold. Besides the thekua, the offerings include all freshly harvested roots, fruits, vegetables, spices, and grains of the season, like sugarcane, olives, turmeric, coconuts, large lemons, ripe bananas, and more.

These offerings are then kept safe in a basket to be presented to the rising sun the next morning. Some people stay overnight at the ghat, while others return home with all the items, singing Chhath songs along the way.

Pratah Arghya
After the worship, devotees drink a sherbet made of raw milk and take prasad. To complete the fast, they must then eat a salty meal. On Kartik Shukla Saptami, before sunrise, devotees go to the riverbank to worship the Sun God, accompanied by their ancestors and relatives. The offerings used in the evening Arghya are replaced with new items, although the roots, tubers, and fruits remain the same.

During this time, the devotees stand facing the direction of the sun, maintaining their fast as they offer prayers to the Sun God. Afterward, they worship the riverbank and then distribute the prasad. Devotees return home and share the prasad with their families as well.

source: https://www.sanatanjyoti.com/blog/chhath-puja/1589