Chhath Puja 2023: Day 2 of Chhath is known as Kharna or Lohanda. On this day vratis fast from sunrise to sunset. Know all rituals.The Hindu festival of Chhath Puja has begun today with the ritual of Nahay Khay where devotees observing the fast take a holy dip in a water body as a preparation for the four-day rituals to follow. The day 2 of Chhath Puja will be celebrated as Kharna or Lohanda where vratis will observe a day-long fast from sunrise to sunset without food and water. On Kharna, prasad of Rasiya Kheer is made with arwa chawal, jaggery or gud and ghee and offered to Chhathi Maiyya and Sun God. The fast is broken after sunset by consuming this special dessert by vrati which is then distributed to other family members in the house. Chhath Puja falls on the sixth day of Shukla Paksha of the Hindu month of Kartik, roughly six days after the festival of Diwali. Sun God and goddess Chhathi Maiyya are worshipped during the festival which is celebrated with much fanfare in the states of Bihar, UP among others. Chhathi Maiyya, the daughter of Lord Brahma and sister of Lord Surya is known to bestow good health, success and long life on children of those fasting. This year Chhath Puja is being celebrated from November 17-20.Kharna or Lohanda marks the second day of Chhath Puja festival where devotees have a single meal of Rasiya kheer and roti or puri after a day of nirjala fasting, post sunset. On Kharna, women observing the fast, wake up early in the morning and after taking bath, make preparations for the next two days of the festival which is basically gathering of fruits like sugarcane, daab nimbu, singhara, and other fruits that are kept in soop and offered to Chhathi Maiyya and Sun God. In the evening, after the puja, vratis break their fast with Rasiya kheer and roti, which is their last meal before the 36-hour fasting begins. Also known as Lohanda, the duration of the fasting lasts from 8-12 hours.
Bamboo baskets, incense sticks, bamboo soop, suthni, whole grain wheat, jaggery, deepak, ghee, honey, coconut, betel leaves, rice, fruits like banana and pear, vermillion, raw turmeric, sweets
Shubh Muhurat for Chhath Puha Kharna
Sunrise at 6:46 am
Sunset at 5:26 pm
On Kharna, fast can be ended after sunset.
After Kharna, the last two days of Chhath Puja are Sandhya Ghat (November 19) and Usha Ghat (November 20) where arghya to the setting sun and rising sun is offered respectively. Women go without food and water for 36 hours during this time. After the early morning arghya, Chhath Puja is concluded.
The festival of Chhath Puja begins with Nahay Khay today. Here are the dos and don'ts during fasting and other rituals of Chhath that devotees must follow.The four-day festival of Chhath Puja, one of the biggest in Bihar and UP, begins today (November 17) with Nahay Khay as Chhathi Maiyya devotees take a holy dip ahead of the 36-hour arduous 'Nirjala' fast. Observed on the sixth day of Shukla Paksha of Kartik month of Hindu calendar, Chhath Puja is observed by devotees, mostly women, to get blessings from Surya Bhagwaan (Sun God) and his sister Chhathi Maiyya. After three days of elaborate rituals including Nahay Khay, Kharna and Lohanda (November 18), and Sandhya Ghaat (November 19), the festival concludes on the fourth day with Usha Ghaat (November 20) or morning arghya to the rising sun, post which the fast comes to an end and vratis finally do Parana with ginger water before an elaborate meal.
Chhath Puja, a much revered fast popular since ancient times, is observed to please the Sun God and Chhathi Maiyya, and falls roughly six days post Diwali. Considering the fast has to be observed with utmost hygiene, every nook and corner of the house and surrounding areas have to be cleaned thoroughly. The preparation thus begins right after Diwali. Taking a daily morning bath is mandatory by not just vratis during the four days of the festival but also by their family members and others who are helping in Prasad making and other preparations for Puja.
