Chhath Puja: A Sunlit Celebration of Faith, Food and Fresh Beginnings

As the festive rhythm continues across India, Chhath Puja arrives … not with grand fireworks or lavish feasts, but with quiet devotion, sunrise prayers and heartfelt simplicity. Celebrated mainly in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and parts of Delhi NCR, this festival honours Surya Dev (the Sun God) and Chhathi Maiya, thanking them for sustaining life and granting prosperity.

It’s one of India’s most spiritually charged and environmentally mindful festivals, a celebration that connects faith with nature, devotion with discipline, and tradition with sustainability.

Source: Moneycontrol Hindi

The Significance of Chhath Puja

The word Chhath literally means “sixth” and refers to the sixth day of the lunar month of Kartika, usually falling after Diwali. The festival spans four days and involves rituals of purity, fasting, and offering prayers to the rising and setting sun. Devotees observe strict fasts, some even without water, to express gratitude and seek blessings for the health and well-being of their families.

Unlike many other festivals, Chhath Puja has no place for idol worship. Instead, the sun, water, and natural elements take centre stage. The rituals highlight the deep-rooted Indian tradition of living in harmony with nature, a theme that resonates deeply today as sustainability becomes more than just a buzzword.

Rituals Rooted in Simplicity

The celebration begins with Nahay Khay, where devotees bathe in rivers and prepare satvik (pure vegetarian) meals cooked in bronze or earthen utensils, avoiding onions, garlic, or even salt. The following days include: Kharna, a day of fasting and offering kheer made from jaggery, rice, and milk, followed by the evening rituals: Sandhya Arghya (offering prayers to the setting sun) and Usha Arghya (to the rising sun).

These rituals usually take place at riverbanks or artificial water bodies, and in places like Noida and Greater Noida, you’ll often find residents gathering by society swimming pools and parks, carrying baskets filled with fruits, sugarcane, coconuts, and the signature thekua (a wheat and jaggery sweet).

Faith Meets Freshness — The FarmLokal Way

Chhath Puja is as much about what’s offered as how it’s sourced. With people increasingly turning towards organic produce and chemical-free food, platforms like FarmLokal play an important role in helping urban devotees prepare authentic, pure offerings. From organic jaggery and rice to fresh fruits and ghee, every ingredient counts when purity is the essence.

And with FarmLokal delivering across Noida and Greater Noida, preparing for Chhath Puja becomes not just convenient but conscious, a celebration of both devotion and sustainable living.

A Festival That Shines Beyond Rituals

At its heart, Chhath Puja is about discipline, gratitude and balance, values that feel especially relevant in today’s fast-paced world. It reminds us that faith isn’t always loud or elaborate; sometimes, it’s a quiet sunrise, a humble offering, and a belief that light will always find its way back.

This year, as the sun rises over the Yamuna and Rudrasagar lakes and devotees bow in reverence, Chhath Puja continues to weave together what makes India truly radiant: its people, their faith, and their deep connection to the land that feeds them.

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