Chhath Puja calendar 2023: Nahaye Khaye to Usha Arghya; know all about the 4 days of Chhath Puja

Chhath Puja calendar 2023: From Nahaye Khaye to Lohanda and Kharna to Usha Arghya, here's all that you need to know about the four days of the festival.

Chhath Puja calendar 2023: One of the largest festivals of the country is here. It is the season of festivals, and we already cannot wait for Chhath Puja to start for this year. This festival is dedicated to the solar God – Lord Surya. Devotees keep fast and offer their prayers to the solar god and thank him for providing them with bounties of prosperity, wealth and longevity. Chhath Puja is primarily celebrated in the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal and in some parts of Nepal. As we gear up to celebrate the festival, here is all that you need to know about the four days of Chhath Puja.

Chhath Puja calendar 2023: Nahaye Khaye to Usha Arghya; know all about the 4 days of Chhath Puja(Sanchit Khanna/ Hindustan Times)

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Nahaye Khaye: On the first day of Chhath Puja, devotees go to the river, preferably Ganges, and take a bath. They also collect the water from the Ganges and bring it home. With that water, they cook a meal. During this time, devotees take food only once a day. They clean their house thoroughly and prepare it for the festival.

Lohanda and Kharna: On Panchami, the devotees keep fast throughout the day and break their fast only after sunset. They go for shopping the essentials for Chhath Puja and make Rasiao Kheer and chapathis. They offer the bhog to Chhatti Maiya and then break their fast by consuming this prasad.

Sandhya Arghya: The whole day is spent preparing for the offering. During the evenings, the devotees visit the banks of a river with their family and worship the setting sun. Folk songs are sung, and devotees offer their Sandhya Arghya.

Usha Arghya: The offering given to Sun God in the morning is known as Usha Arghya or Bihaniya Arghya. The devotees gather with their families at the riverbanks and wait till sunrise. Then they go into the river and offer Usha Arghya to the Sun God. Then they take blessings from the elders at the ghat and distribute prasad to everyone.