Chhath Puja 2025: Devotion, Rituals and the Surge of Festive Spirit Across India

A festival of faith, discipline, and divine gratitude: Chhath Puja 2025 brings cities alive with devotion and cultural pride

India is currently immersed in the sacred observance of Chhath Puja 2025, a four-day festival marked by rigorous discipline, heartfelt devotion and radiant community participation. Devotees across states rise before dawn, take holy dips in rivers or lakes, and offer prayers to the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya seeking blessings for family welfare and longevity.

The festival begins with Nahay-Khay, when participants cleanse body and mind with a bath and consume a simple sattvic meal. The next day, Kharna, involves a day-long fast followed by offering sweet preparations after sunset. On the third day, during Sandhya Arghya, worshippers stand waist-deep in water at dusk and present offerings to the setting sun. The concluding morning brings Usha Arghya, when the rising sun receives prayers, diyas and fruit laden trays on river banks or ghats.

This year, markets in towns and cities have witnessed unusually high activity as households stock sugarcane, pumpkins, coconuts, bamboo baskets (soop), seasonal fruits and traditional sweets like thekua for the ritual meals. The surge underscores how the festival remains deeply rooted even amid urban lifestyles.

In many regions, local authorities and community groups have stepped up arrangements. Ghats are being cleaned and decorated, river-front lighting and sanitation has improved, and special train services are organised to ease travel for returnees. These efforts reflect the mass scale of participation and the logistical challenge inherent in the event.

Spiritually, Chhath remains a testament to gratitude. Worship of the Sun-God represents thanks for life’s sustaining energy, while reverence for Chhathi Maiya symbolizes protection of children and family health. The act of offering arghya in water signifies purification, humility and oneness with nature. For many young practitioners, this ancient rite bridges modern life and ancestral tradition.

Beyond religious meaning, the festival also fosters communal harmony. Neighbours, friends and families gather on ghats, share prasad, chant folk songs in Maithili or Bhojpuri and tie bonds across generations and regions. In cities, pockets of Purvanchali communities bring their unique cultural colours, flavour and warmth to local celebrations.

The rising enthusiasm this year is noteworthy. Despite past restrictions or disruption, many places have returned to full-scale rituals. For participants, the act of standing in cold river water before dawn, fasting with resolve and submitting offerings reflects not only devotion but endurance—and through that, a greater sense of purpose.

As the final day draws near and thousands stand facing the golden horizon to greet the sun, the emotional climax captures the spirit of the festival: hope, renewal and union with nature. For many, the festival concludes with a sense of spiritual uplift, familial strengthening and cultural continuity.

For readers of TaiikiTalks, Chhath Puja 2025 offers more than a spectacle—it is a living example of faith and devotion adapting to modern rhythms while preserving ancient core values. As photos of lamps floating on rivers, sugarcane-laden baskets and colourfully dressed families fill social feeds, the underlying message remains clear: in the rush of modern life, pausing for gratitude, nature and ritual still brings deep meaning.