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This year, Sasthi Tithi commences on November 7. It is on this significant day that devotees perform Sandhya Arghya rituals, offering prayers to the setting sun.
The four-day Chhath Puja includes several rituals, culminating in a rigorous 36-hour fast. (Image: Shutterstock)
Chhath Puja, the 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 began on November 5, and will conclude on November 8. Â The festival is celebrated widely in Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Outside India, the festival is also celebrated in Nepal.
Sandhya Arghya 2024: Shubh Muhurat And Sunset Timing
According to Drik Panchang, the auspicious timings and shubh muhurat for the third day of Chhath Puja, on November 7, are as follows:
- Shashthi Tithi: From 12:41 AM on November 7 to 12:34 AM on November 8
- Sunrise timing: 6:17 AM
- Sunset timing: 5:42 PM
Sandhya Arghya 2024: City-wise Sunset Timings on November 7
- New Delhi- 5:32 PM
- Patna- 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 rigorous 36-hour fast. During this fast, devotees abstain from even water, seeking blessings from the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya for the well-being of their children and families.
Chhath Puja Day 3: What Is Sandhya Arghya?
This year, Sasthi Tithi commences on November 7, marking the third day of the festival. It is on this significant day that devotees perform Sandhya Arghya rituals, offering prayers to the setting sun.
On the third day of the festival, elaborate preparations are under way for the Chhath Prasad.
These include fruits such as sugarcane, coconut, and bananas, along with thekuas, a traditional fried dumpling.
The offerings are then placed in bamboo baskets, or soop, which are believed to be a vital part of the arghya (ritual offerings).
The day is celebrated with families gathering at the banks of rivers or water bodies in the evening.
Holding the soop, devotees stand in knee-deep water, facing the setting sun.
They offer water (arghya) to the setting sun (Surya, god, and Chhathi Maiya) and seek blessings.
This is how devotees end the day, symbolising gratitude for life.
ALSO READ: 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.
The devotees also seek blessings from Chhathi Maiya for their children, as she is known as the Hindu goddess of fertility and childbirth.
Significance And Rituals Of Sandhya Arghya
Apart from offering Arghya to the Sun God and Chhathi Maiyya at the ghats of rivers, devotees fast for the whole day, abstaining from food and even water.
It ends on the fourth or last day of Chhath with Usha Arghya which involves offering prayers to Surya Bhagwan and Chhathi Maiyya.
After the arghya is offered on the last day, the prasad from the bamboo baskets is consumed first by the devotees observing fast, followed by sharing the same with family members and companions.
This year, Usha Arghya rituals will be performed at the sunrise on November 8.
The festival is a celebration of fertility and life. It’s also an occasion to pay tribute to Sun God and Chhati Maiya for their blessings on all the living beings on earth.