Chhath Puja, day by day

Clean and purify the home. The vrati bathes, in a river where possible, and eats a single simple meal.

In many families, fried food is avoided that day and the meal is cooked in clay or bronze vessels. The family begins preparing for the days ahead.

The vrati fasts through the day without water. In the evening after sunset, kheer and roti are offered and then eaten by the vrati, and the prasad is shared with the family.

After the Kharna prasad, the long fast without water begins and lasts until parana after the dawn arghya on the fourth day.

The family makes the prasad and arranges the soop and daura with coconut, seasonal fruit and the other offerings, following its own practice. Some families use five kinds of fruit.

Share the preparation and other work according to your family’s practice, so that the vrati can also rest.

Carry the daura to the ghat and arrange the offerings in a safe place near the water. In many families a coconut is offered and a lamp lit here.

In many families a man of the house carries the daura. At home, prepare the pool or tub in the same way.

As the sun sets, the vrati stands in the water holding the soop and offers arghya of water or milk to the Sun. Family members offer arghya too.

At Chhath, arghya is offered to the setting sun on the third day and to the rising sun on the fourth. Offer it with a prayer in your own words or as your family does.

Reach the ghat before dawn with the offerings prepared according to your family’s practice. As the sun rises, the vrati offers arghya again, and the family joins.

In many families the cooked offerings of the evening are replaced with fresh ones, while the fruit and roots stay the same.

After the dawn arghya, the vrati breaks the fast with prasad and water, and the prasad is shared with everyone.

After about 36 hours without water, begin with water and something light before a full meal.