Nahay Khay marks the start of the eagerly awaited Chhath Puja festival. Everything you need to know about the four days of festivities and customs.
For those from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, Chhath Puja starts on November 17 with Nahay Khay, the first ritual of the four-day celebration that establishes the parameters for the strenuous 36-hour fast that follows. One of the largest festivals in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, Chhath Puja is dedicated to the Sun God and his sister Chhathi Maiyya, who is believed to be the daughter of Lord Brahma in Indian mythology. Days in advance, preparations are made for the festival by cleaning houses, purchasing puja samagri, soops, new clothes for the family, and prasad items.
The Vedic era is associated with the Chhath festival, and the Rigveda mentions the Sandhya and Usha arghya ceremonies. It is stated that the Rishis, who would fast for days on end, came up with the concept for the celebration.
November 17 is Nahay Khay, when worshippers bathe in sacred bodies of water like the Yamuna or Ganga. Devotees consume prasad of kaddu bhaat after taking a bath and give it to family members as well.
Sunrise at 6:45 am
Sunset at 5:27 pm
November 18: Kharna and Lohanda: This is the day when devotees prepare gud kheer, or rasiya prasad, early in the morning. The prasad of rasiya, the final meal before a strenuous 36-hour fast, breaks the daylong nirjala fast, which is observed without food or water from sunrise to sunset.
Sunrise at 6:46 am
Sunset at 5:26 pm
November 19 – Sandhya Arghya: While the fasting without food or liquids continues, the evening puja preparations also take place. Soops are filled with thekua prasad, coconut, seasonal fruits, etc., and arghya is offered, standing waist-deep in a body of water, to the setting sun. Still, the fast lasts through the night and into the morning of the following day.
Sunrise at 6:46 am
Sunset at 5:26 pm
Usha Arghya on November 20: On this final day of the Chhath Puja fast, arghya is offered to the rising sun, also known as Usha Arghya, who is standing in the lake. Devotees experience delight and gladness in their hearts upon the end of Chhath Puja, as do their families and relatives. Now is the perfect time to savor soops prasad and spend days enjoying it with each other.
