Chhath Puja Day 3: Devotees offer Sandhya Arghya to setting Sun today
Synopsis
Chhath Puja reaches its most sacred moment on Sunday evening as millions of devotees — midway through a gruelling 36-hour waterless fast — gather at riverbanks to offer Sandhya Arghya to the setting Sun at 4:54 pm. The four-day festival of folk faith concludes Monday at 5:59 am with the sunrise arghya.
Key Takeaways
Devotees offer Sandhya Arghya to the setting Sun at 4:54 pm on Sunday, 15 November — the most significant ritual of Chhath Puja .
Worshippers are observing a 36-hour Nirjala fast (without water), which began after Kharna rituals on Saturday evening.
Kharna prasad — including rasiya, kheer, and puris — was prepared on clay stoves fuelled by mango wood , in keeping with traditional customs.
Several devotees fulfilled vows by performing full-body prostrations on their way to the ghats.
The festival concludes on Monday, 16 November with the Usha Arghya (sunrise offering) at 5:59 am .
Millions of Chhath Puja devotees across India are set to offer the first arghya — known as Sandhya Arghya — to the setting Sun on Sunday, 15 November, marking the most spiritually significant evening of the four-day festival of folk faith. The Sun is scheduled to set at 4:54 pm, when worshippers will gather at riverbanks and designated water bodies to perform the ritual.
The Significance of Sandhya Arghya
Sandhya Arghya, the evening offering to the Sun God, is considered the centrepiece of Chhath Puja. Devotees observing the festival are currently in the midst of a gruelling 36-hour Nirjala fast — a waterless vigil that began after the Kharna rituals on Saturday evening. The fast is undertaken as an act of complete surrender and devotion to Lord Surya and Chhathi Maiya.
The four-day celebration will draw to a close on Monday morning, when the final arghya is offered to the rising Sun at 5:59 am, completing the cycle of worship that alternates between the setting and rising Sun.
Kharna Rituals Mark the Turning Point
On Saturday, devotees performed the Kharna rituals, preparing traditional prasad including rasiya, kheer, and puris. In keeping with age-old customs, the offerings were cooked exclusively on clay stoves fuelled by mango wood, preserving the sanctity of the preparation process.
Special prayers were organised in separate, secluded rooms in many households, in accordance with the strict purity codes that govern Chhath observance. After a day of religious discipline, fasting devotees consumed the Kharna prasad in the evening — the prescribed moment that officially commenced the 36-hour waterless fast.
Devotees Fulfil Vows on the Way to the Ghats
Several devotees who had taken religious vows were seen fulfilling them by performing dand pranam — full-body prostrations — along the route from their homes to the ghats. The practice is observed as a powerful expression of faith and gratitude towards the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya, and is a long-standing tradition associated with the festival.
Notably, Chhath Puja is one of the few major Indian festivals that requires no idol worship, centring instead on direct veneration of natural elements — the Sun and water — making it distinctive among Hindu traditions.
What Happens on Day 4
The final day of Chhath Puja, known as Usha Arghya, will see devotees return to the water bodies before sunrise on Monday, 16 November. The sunrise arghya at 5:59 am marks the formal conclusion of the fast and the festival. After offering the morning arghya, devotees break their 36-hour fast and distribute prasad among family and community members, bringing the celebrations to a close.
Point of View
No idols, no temple gatekeepers, just the Sun, water, and an unbroken fast. In an era of commercialised religious festivals, Chhath remains strikingly egalitarian, drawing equal participation across class lines. Its growing observance beyond Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh — now visible in Delhi, Mumbai, and even diaspora communities abroad — points to a quiet cultural assertion that mainstream coverage tends to understate. The festival's strict purity codes and community organisation also reflect a sophisticated oral tradition that has survived without institutional backing.
NationPress
15 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sandhya Arghya in Chhath Puja?
Sandhya Arghya is the ritual offering made to the setting Sun on the third day of Chhath Puja, considered the most spiritually significant moment of the festival. Devotees stand in water at riverbanks or designated water bodies and offer arghya as the Sun sets — on 15 November 2024, this is scheduled for 4:54 pm.
What is the 36-hour Nirjala fast observed during Chhath Puja?
The Nirjala fast is a waterless, foodless vigil lasting approximately 36 hours, observed by Chhath devotees from the evening of Kharna (Day 2) until the Usha Arghya (sunrise offering) on Day 4. It is considered one of the most demanding fasts in Hindu tradition, undertaken as an act of complete devotion to Lord Surya.
What is the Kharna ritual in Chhath Puja?
Kharna is the second-day ritual of Chhath Puja during which devotees prepare and consume traditional prasad — including rasiya, kheer, and puris — cooked on clay stoves fuelled by mango wood. The consumption of Kharna prasad in the evening marks the beginning of the 36-hour Nirjala fast.
When does Chhath Puja 2024 end?
Chhath Puja 2024 concludes on Monday, 16 November, with the Usha Arghya — the offering to the rising Sun — at 5:59 am. After the sunrise arghya, devotees break their 36-hour fast and distribute prasad, formally ending the four-day festival.
Why do some Chhath devotees perform prostrations on the way to the ghats?
Devotees who have taken religious vows perform dand pranam — full-body prostrations — along the route from their homes to the ghats as an expression of deep faith and gratitude towards Chhathi Maiya and the Sun God. The practice is a long-standing tradition associated with fulfilling personal vows made during the festival.
