Chhath Puja came into limelight with the song of ‘The One’: Who is Chhathi Maiya and the full significance of the 4-day festival from Nahay-Khay to Usha Arghya

The new devotional song ‘Chhathi Maiya’ from Bollywood actor Sidharth Malhotra and actress Tamannaah Bhatia’s upcoming much talked about film ‘The One’ has taken over the music charts and social media as soon as it is released. This melodious and emotional song has increased the curiosity of the people towards Chhath Puja, the biggest festival of folk faith, across the country as well as at the global level. In Sanatan culture, Chhath festival celebrated on Shashthi Tithi of Shukla Paksha of Kartik month is not just a traditional ritual but it is a unique spiritual festival to express gratitude towards nature, direct deity Lord Bhuvan Bhaskar Surya and his mental sister Chhathi Maiya. This difficult fast, which lasts for four days, is observed with complete devotion, purity and strict rules to wish for the long life of the child, uninterrupted good fortune, health and happiness and prosperity of the family.

The worship of Chhathi Maiya is prominently present in the center of Chhath Mahaparva. There is a detailed description of the appearance of Chhathi Maiya and her supernatural effects in Sanatan religious scriptures, especially in the Prakriti section of Brahmavaivarta Purana and Skanda Purana. According to mythological stories, Chhathi Maiya is the mental daughter of the creator of the universe, Lord Brahma, who is addressed as ‘Shashthi Devi’ or ‘Chhathi Maiya’ in the folk language due to her origin from the sixth part of the original nature. Mata Shashthi, worshiped as Devasena, is also considered to be the power of the commander of the gods, Lord Kartikeya and the sister of the direct god, Lord Surya Narayan.

It is mentioned in the scriptures that King Priyavrat was not having any children. Then Maharishi Kashyap performed Putreshti Yagya, as a result of which Queen Malini gave birth to a dead child. The king was deeply saddened and tried to commit suicide. At that very moment a luminous plane descended from the sky, in which Goddess Shashthi Devi appeared. The goddess touched the child and brought him back to life and told the king that whoever worships her will have a long-lived, virtuous and successful child. Since then, the tradition of worshiping Chhathi Maiya on Shashthi Tithi for the protection, health and growth of children has been going on continuously since time immemorial.

The first day of Chhath Mahaparva is celebrated as ‘Nahay-Khay’, which forms the basis of physical and spiritual purification. In the year 2026, Nahay-Khay will start on Friday, November 13. On this day, devotees wake up early in the morning at Brahmamuhurta and take bath with pure water mixed with holy rivers, lakes or Ganga water. After this, clean or new clothes are worn.

There are very strict rules for preparing and consuming food on the day of Nahay-Khay. On this day, a sattvik vegetable of rock salt, pure cow’s ghee, Arwa rice (bhaat), gram dal and pumpkin (gourd or ghia) cooked in desi ghee is prepared in a new earthen stove or brass utensils with complete purity and cleanliness. Use of onion and garlic in food is completely prohibited. First, the fasting person devoutly consumes this Satvik Prasad, after which other members of the family have food. Its main objective is to make the body light, healthy and mentally concentrated for the fast.

The second day of the festival is called ‘Kharna’, which will conclude on Saturday, November 14, 2026. On the day of Kharna, devotees observe a waterless fast throughout the day and make special preparations for the puja in the evening. On this day, after sunset, new rice, ‘Rasiav’ (kheer) made of fresh cow’s milk and pure jaggery and satvik rotis of wheat flour are prepared in earthen pots on dry mango wood and a new earthen stove.

After this, by placing this Mahaprasad on a banana leaf in a secluded sacred room, Naivedya is offered to Lord Surya and Chhathi Maiya. After completing the ritualistic worship with incense, lamp and camphor, the devotees consume the prasad of kheer and roti. Complete peace is maintained in the house while taking the Prasad of the fast. With the consumption of this Prasad, the fasting person begins an uninterrupted and extremely strict waterless fast of 36 hours, in which not even a drop of water is consumed.

The third day of Chhath Mahaparva is considered to be the most grand and emotionally rich, which is called ‘Sandhya Arghya’ or Sanjhiya Ghat. The ritual will take place on the evening of Sunday, November 15, 2026. On this day, the devotee and his family prepare the main Mahaprasad of Chhath, ‘Thekua’ and rice laddus (Kasar) at home from wheat flour, jaggery or sugar and pure ghee.

In the evening, new baskets (daura) made of bamboo and soup are decorated with thekua, seasonal fruits like coconut, banana, water chestnut, pineapple, custard apple, soot, ginger and raw turmeric plant. After this, the devotees reach the ghats of the river, pond or reservoir barefoot with musical instruments and traditional Chhath songs. This tradition of offering Arghya to the setting sun is a symbol of the great ideology of Sanatan Dharma, which respects the setting sun as much as the rising sun. The devotees stand waist-deep in water and offer milk and Ganga water to the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya and pray for the well-being of their children.

The fourth and last day of Chhath Puja is called ‘Usha Arghya’ or dawn Arghya, which will conclude on the morning of Monday, 16 November 2026. On this day, even before sunrise, all the devotees and fasting people gather again at the reservoirs and ghats.

As soon as the redness spreads in the east and Lord Bhuvan Bhaskar appears in Udayachal form, the devotees stand in the cool water and offer second Arghya to Lord Sun through a copper vessel or soup. During this, Surya Gayatri Mantra and Vedic hymns of the Vedas are chanted. Blessings are sought from Sun God and Mata Shashthi for the welfare of the entire living world, environmental protection, prosperity of the family and longevity of children. After offering the Arghya, a formal Aarti is performed at the ghat itself and the devotees break their 36-hour waterless fast by taking pieces of ginger, raw gram and a little water. After this, Prasad of Thekua and fruits is distributed among all the devotees.

This festival of Chhath Puja is the most unique example of nature, social harmony and purity, where without any priest or ostentation, every section of the society stands on the same ghat and worships Sun God and Chhathi Maiya.