Chhath Puja 2025: Embracing the Sun’s Divine Blessings with Devotion and Purity

Celebrate Chhath Puja 2025 with devotion! Learn festival history, fasting tips, sunrise & sunset arghya, and spiritual significance.

As the first golden rays of the sun touch the earth, a sacred energy fills rivers, ghats, and homes across India and Nepal. This energy marks the beginning of Chhath Puja, one of the most powerful and spiritually significant festivals in the Sanatan Hindu tradition. Unlike other festivals, Chhath is a Vrat of complete dedication, purity, and gratitude, celebrated to honor Surya Dev, the Sun God—the source of all life and energy—and Chhathi Maiya, the goddess of prosperity, well-being, and children.

In 2025, Chhath Puja will be observed from October 25 to October 28, with the central rituals—Sandhya Arghya and Usha Arghya—on October 27 and October 28. This sacred festival is a reflection of the Vedic emphasis on discipline, self-purification, and cosmic harmony, teaching devotees to live in alignment with nature and dharma.

The Divine Tale Behind Chhath Puja

Every ritual of Chhath Puja carries a divine story, passed down through generations. According to legend, Mata Sita, after returning from exile with Lord Rama, observed a fast to express gratitude to Surya Dev for their family’s prosperity. Through her devotion, she sought blessings for the birth and health of her sons, Lava and Kusha.

Similarly, Kunti, mother of the Pandavas, performed this vrat to invoke Surya Dev’s blessings, resulting in the birth of Karna, who was gifted with extraordinary abilities and wisdom. These stories illustrate that Chhath Puja is not merely a festival, but a sacred vrata that aligns human life with cosmic energy, emphasizing gratitude, devotion, and spiritual discipline.

The festival is considered one of the most powerful vrats in the Sanatan system, as it requires complete physical, mental, and emotional dedication. Devotees abstain from food and water for 36 hours, standing in riverbanks during sunrise and sunset to offer arghya to Surya Dev. This discipline symbolizes self-purification, spiritual awakening, and

alignment with universal rhythms—the core of Vedic wisdom.

Vedic Significance: Why Chhath Is a Supreme Vrat

Chhath Puja is deeply rooted in the Vedic system, which emphasizes the harmony of man, nature, and the cosmos. In the Rig Veda, Surya is celebrated as the source of life and the illuminator of knowledge. Offering prayers to Surya, especially during sunrise and sunset, is believed to purify the mind, energize the body, and invoke spiritual wisdom.

The vrat involves extreme discipline, such as nirjala fasts, maintaining mental purity, and performing rituals with complete devotion, reflecting the Vedic principle of tapasya—spiritual austerity to attain higher consciousness. The festival’s four-day structure—Nahay Khay, Kharna, Sandhya Arghya, and Usha Arghya—symbolizes the progressive spiritual purification, starting with cleansing the body and ending with offering devotion at the break of dawn.

Chhath is considered one of the few festivals that maintain pure Vedic essence, as it connects humanity directly with the cosmic energy of the Sun, acknowledging the divine order and balance of nature.

Rituals of Chhath Puja 2025: A Step-by-Step Journey

Day 1: Nahay Khay – October 25, 2025 (Saturday)

The festival begins with Nahay Khay, a day of ritual purification. Devotees take a sacred dip in holy rivers or water bodies, cleansing the body and mind. The food consumed is satvik—simple, vegetarian, free from onion and garlic—and symbolizes purity of intention and action. Traditionally, devotees prepare kaddu-bhat (bottle gourd and rice) and chana dal, consuming it mindfully to begin the vrat.

Day 2: Kharna – October 26, 2025 (Sunday)

On Kharna, devotees observe a day-long fast, breaking it only after sunset. A simple prasad of kheer (rice pudding) and roti is prepared and offered to Chhathi Maiya. The fast requires emotional and physical discipline, symbolizing self-control and devotion. By abstaining from worldly comforts, devotees cultivate mental clarity, patience, and spiritual focus.

Day 3: Sandhya Arghya – October 27, 2025 (Monday)

The third day is the Sandhya Arghya, when devotees gather at riverbanks to offer water to the setting sun. With folded hands, they chant mantras and bhajans, performing the ritual with reverence and humility. This offering reflects gratitude for the life-giving energy of the Sun, and devotees pray for health, prosperity, and family well-being.

Day 4: Usha Arghya – October 28, 2025 (Tuesday)

The festival culminates with the Usha Arghya, offering prayers to the rising sun. Standing in waist-deep water, devotees chant sacred mantras, visualizing the divine energy entering their being. After this ritual, the 36-hour nirjala fast is broken, symbolizing the completion of purification and renewed spiritual vigor.

Chhath Puja 2025 Dates, Puja Timings, and Muhurat

• Nahay Khay: October 25, 2025

• Kharna: October 26, 2025

  • Prasad Preparation Time: After sunset

• Sandhya Arghya: October 27, 2025

  • Best Muhurat: 5:45 PM – 6:30 PM (Evening Arghya)

• Usha Arghya: October 28, 2025

  • Best Muhurat: 6:05 AM – 6:45 AM (Morning Arghya)

Observing rituals at the prescribed muhurat is considered vital in Vedic astrology, ensuring alignment with cosmic energy for maximum blessings.

Chhath Puja: A Modern Reflection

Even in the fast-paced world of today, Chhath Puja holds profound lessons. By practicing gratitude, self-discipline, and devotion, individuals reconnect with nature, community, and spiritual principles. The vrat teaches patience, encourages mindfulness, and reminds us that life is sustained by divine cosmic energy, which we often take for granted.

The festival’s emphasis on family participation fosters unity, while its connection to rivers and sun highlights the importance of environmental harmony, a principle deeply rooted in Vedic teachings.

 

Story of Chhath Puja: Devotion Beyond Time

A timeless story from Bihar recounts a poor devotee, Vishnu Sharma, who had no wealth but observed Chhath Puja with unwavering devotion. On the day of Sandhya Arghya, despite the scorching sun, he stood in the river offering prayers with complete focus. Witnessing his dedication, Surya Dev appeared in his dream and blessed him with abundance. This story symbolizes that Chhath Puja is not about wealth or status but about purity, devotion, and alignment with cosmic will.

As the sun rises on October 28, 2025, let us stand in devotion, offering our heartfelt gratitude to Surya Dev and Chhathi Maiya. May the observance of Chhath Puja purify our hearts, strengthen our resolve, and fill our lives with harmony, prosperity, and spiritual awakening. This sacred Vrat reminds us that faith, discipline, and gratitude are timeless virtues, empowering humanity to live in alignment with Sanatan dharma and the eternal cosmic order.