Last update:
This year, Sasthi Tithi begins on November 7. It is on this important day that devotees perform Sandhya Arghya rituals, praying for sunset.
The four-day Chhath Puja includes several rituals, culminating in a strict 36-hour fast. (Image: Shutterstock)
Chhath Puja, a four-day festival, also known as Surya Shashti, Chhath, Chhathi, Chhath Parv, Dala Puja, Pratihar, and Dala Chhath, is celebrated with dedication and strict adherence to religious traditions. This year, Chhath Puja started on November 5, and will end on November 8. The festival is widely celebrated in Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Apart from India, this festival is also celebrated in Nepal.
Sandhya Arghya 2024: Shubh Muhurat And Sunset Time
According to Drik Panchang, the auspicious times and shubh muhurat for the third day of Chhath Puja, November 7, are as follows:
- Shashthi Thithi: From 12:41 AM on November 7 to 12:34 AM on November 8
- Sunrise time: 6:17 AM
- Sunset time: 5:42 PM
Sandhya Arghya 2024: City wise sunset times on November 7
- New Delhi- 5:32 PM
- At 5:04 PM
- Ranchi- 5:07 PM
- Kolkata- 4:56 PM
- Mumbai- 6:02 PM
- Ahmedabad- 5:58 PM
- Hyderabad- 5:42 PM
- Jaipur- 5:40 PM
- Lucknow- 5:19 PM
- Raipur- 5: 24 PM
- Chennai- 5:40 PM
- Chandigarh- 5:30 PM
- Shimla- 5:28 PM
- Bhubaneswar- 5:09 PM
Chhath Puja celebrations
Chhath Puja is dedicated to the Sun God, Surya Dev. Devotees also worship Shashthi Devi, popularly known as Chhathi Maiya. The four-day festival includes several rituals, culminating in a strict 36-hour fast. During this fast, devotees do not even eat water, seeking blessings from the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya for the welfare of their children and their families.
Day 3 of Chhath Puja: What is Sandhya Arghya?
This year, Sasthi Tithi begins on November 7, which marks the third day of the festival. It is on this important day that devotees perform Sandhya Arghya rituals, praying for sunset.
On the third day of the festival, elaborate preparations are underway for Chhath Prasad.
These include fruits such as sugarcane, coconut, and banana, as well as thekuas, a traditional fried dumpling.
The offerings are then placed in a bamboo basket, or soap, which is believed to be an important part of the arghya (ritual offerings).
The day is celebrated with families gathering on the banks of rivers or water bodies in the evening.
Holding soup, devotees stand in knee-deep water, facing the sunset.
They offer water (arghya) to the setting sun (Surya, god, and Chhathi Maiya) and seek blessings.
This is how the devotees end the day, showing gratitude for life.
READ ALSO: Chhath Puja 2024 Thekua Recipe: How To Make The Perfect Prasad
As the Sun God is considered the source of life on Earth, devotees seek blessings for the longevity of their children and the well-being of their families.
Devotees also seek blessings from Chhathi Maiya for their children, as she is known as the Hindu goddess of fertility and childbirth.
Significance and Practices of Sanhya Arghya
Apart from offering Arghya to the Sun God and Chhathi Maiyya in their domestic areas, the devotees fast for the whole day, not consuming food or even water.
It ends on the fourth or last day of Chhath with Usha Arghya which includes prayers to Surya Bhagwan and Chhathi Maiyya.
After the arghya is offered on the last day, the prasad from the bamboo basket is eaten first by the devotees watching immediately, followed by sharing the same with family members and friends.
This year, the Usha Arghya rituals will be performed at sunrise on November 8.
The festival is a celebration of fertility and life. It is also a ceremony to honor the Gods of Sun and Chhati Maiya for their blessings on all living beings on earth.
Source link