A devotee in New Delhi displays freshly prepared Thekua — the wheat and jaggery sweet central to Chhath Puja — on the festival's third day, Sandhya Arghya, on 15 November 2026. (Photo: NationPress/Deepak Kumar)
On the Sandhya Arghya evening of Chhath Puja, a woman in New Delhi holds up Thekua, the traditional fried sweet made from wheat flour and jaggery, offered to the Sun God on 15 November 2026. (Photo: NationPress/Deepak Kumar)
Women in New Delhi deep fry Thekua in oil as part of Chhath Puja preparations on Sandhya Arghya, the festival's third and most significant evening ritual, observed on 15 November 2026. (Photo: NationPress/Deepak Kumar)
A Chhath Puja devotee prepares Thekua by frying the dough in oil on the third day of the festival — Sandhya Arghya — in New Delhi on 15 November 2026. (Photo: NationPress/Deepak Kumar)
A devotee fries Thekua in hot oil during the Sandhya Arghya phase of Chhath Puja in New Delhi on 15 November 2026 — the sweet is traditionally offered to the setting Sun as part of the evening prayer. (Photo: NationPress/Deepak Kumar)
Another New Delhi devotee fries Thekua on the Sandhya Arghya evening of Chhath Puja 2026, continuing a centuries old ritual in which the sweet is hand shaped from wheat flour, jaggery and ghee before frying. (Photo: NationPress/Deepak Kumar)
Multiple women in New Delhi collaborate to fry batches of Thekua on the third day of Chhath Puja, Sandhya Arghya, on 15 November 2026 — a communal tradition that marks the festival's most observed evening ritual. (Photo: NationPress/Deepak Kumar)
Devotees in New Delhi fry large batches of Thekua on 15 November 2026 as part of the Sandhya Arghya observance — one of four key rituals spread across Chhath Puja's four day calendar. (Photo: NationPress/Deepak Kumar)
An elaborate spread of Thekua — the signature sweet of Chhath Puja — is displayed in New Delhi on Sandhya Arghya, the festival's third day, on 15 November 2026. (Photo: NationPress/Deepak Kumar)
Rows of freshly prepared Thekua are arranged ahead of the Sandhya Arghya evening prayer on the third day of Chhath Puja in New Delhi on 15 November 2026. (Photo: NationPress/Deepak Kumar)
A devotee carefully fries Thekua in oil on the Sandhya Arghya day — the third day of Chhath Puja — in New Delhi on 15 November 2026, keeping alive a generations old sweet making tradition. (Photo: NationPress/Deepak Kumar)
A woman uses a pan of hot oil to fry Thekua on the third day of Chhath Puja, Sandhya Arghya, in New Delhi on 15 November 2026 — capturing one of the festival's most intimate culinary rituals. (Photo: NationPress/Deepak Kumar)
On Sandhya Arghya — the third day of Chhath Puja 2026 — a woman in New Delhi fries Thekua until golden, the sweet then set aside as a sacred offering for the Sun God at the evening ghat prayer. (Photo: NationPress/Deepak Kumar)
A devotee proudly holds up Thekua on the Sandhya Arghya evening of Chhath Puja in New Delhi on 15 November 2026, marking the culmination of the day's sweet making ahead of the riverside sunset prayer. (Photo: NationPress/Deepak Kumar)