The Hindus celebrate the Chhath Puja, which is a festival that lasts for four days. This festival is celebrated to pay homage to Lord Surya, who is the God of the sun and his sister, Chhathi Maiya, is considered to be the six form of Prakriti.

Specifically practised in the large states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal, Chhath Puja has lots of cultural and religious importance. Celebrated in the Hindu lunar calendar on the sixth of Kartika or on the sixth day of the Vikram Samvat after Deepavali. All four days of the festival are different in terms of rituals and are important in fasting, offering, and prayers.

The most important component of the festival is Chhath, which starts with the Nahay Khay, the first day of the Chhath Puja. The festival starts on this day with devotion by taking a bath which is regarded as a purification process, and the women who follow vrat should eat only once in the day or day long.

Kharna or Lohanda is the second day of the festival. What’s more, while on vrat, a devotee does not even take a drop of water until sunset; they follow a tough nirjala vrat. When the sun sets, that is, in the evening, a fast is broken, and an offering of food is made to the Sun god in an act of thanksgiving.

The third day, Sandhya Arghya, is also considered highly auspicious, where people offer Arghya, the ritual offering to the God of Sandhyas, i.e., the setting Sun. They sing songs and hymns, and the fast continues after the evening prayers.

The fourth and the last day of Sankashti Chaturthi is called Parana Day or Usha Arghya when people offer Arghya to the rising sun. This rounds off the 36 hours of fasting for water and no food for devotees. Following the morning prayers and offerings, the fast is broken as an indication of being blessed as well as a means to fulfil the family.

Thus, Chhath Puja is a spirited faith where often families and communities come forward.

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