Chhath Puja 2024: Understanding Sandhya Arghya - Sunset Timings, Significance, and Rituals
Chhath Puja, also known as Surya Shashti or Dala Puja, is a revered four-day festival honouring the Sun God, Surya Dev. In 2024, it began on November 5 and will conclude on November 8. The festival holds immense significance, especially in regions like Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh, as well as among the Nepali community.
Sandhya Arghya: The Key Ritual of the Third Day
The third day of Chhath Puja, known as Sasthi Tithi, falls on November 7 this year. On this day, devotees perform the Sandhya Arghya ritual, which involves offering prayers to the setting sun. This ritual symbolizes gratitude towards the Sun God for sustaining life on Earth. Devotees gather at water bodies, holding traditional bamboo baskets filled with prasad and stand in knee-deep water to offer "arghya" (water) to the Sun.
Sunset Timings for Sandhya Arghya in Major Cities
As per Drik Panchang, the auspicious timings for Sandhya Arghya on November 7 are as follows:
Delhi: 5:32 PM
Patna: 5:04 PM
Mumbai: 6:02 PM
Kolkata: 4:56 PM
Hyderabad: 5:42 PM
Chennai: 5:40 PM
These timings vary slightly by location, and devotees prepare accordingly to ensure they perform Sandhya Arghya at the exact moment of sunset.
Significance and Rituals of Sandhya Arghya
During Chhath Puja, devotees abstain from both food and water in a 36-hour fast. They offer prayers and make offerings, including fruits like bananas, coconuts, sugarcane, and thekua—a traditional sweet. These offerings, placed in bamboo baskets, are crucial to the Sandhya Arghya ritual.
Families and communities gather along riverbanks to conduct this ritual. Facing the setting sun, devotees stand with soop (bamboo baskets) and perform the arghya, thanking the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya, the goddess associated with fertility and prosperity. This ritual embodies gratitude for life and prayers for the health and longevity of family members, especially children.
Concluding the Puja with Usha Arghya
On the fourth and final day, known as Kartik Shukla Saptami, devotees complete Chhath Puja with the Usha Arghya, a prayer offered at sunrise. After offering Usha Arghya, they break their fast by consuming the prasad, which is then shared among family and friends.
Chhath Puja celebrates the fertility of the land and life itself, with devotees paying homage to the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya for their blessings on all living beings.