Chhath Mahaparva 2025: Devotees Observe Second Day with Kharna Puja and Prepare for 36-Hour Nirjala Fast
Pune, 26th October 2025: The second day of Chhath Mahaparva witnessed devotees across Bihar preparing for Kharna Puja, an important ritual that marks the beginning of the festival’s fasting period. Today, Kartik Shukla Panchami coincides with the Jyeshtha and Moola Nakshatras, along with Raviyoga and Sarvartha Siddhi Yoga, considered highly auspicious for the festival.
During Kharna, devotees observe a full-day fast before worshiping Lord Bhaskar in the evening and consuming the Prasad. The sacred ritual is followed by a 36-hour Nirjala fast, a vow of devotion and discipline. The auspicious time for performing Kharna Puja this year is between 5:35 pm and 8:22 pm.
Traditional Preparations and Rituals
Astrologer Rakesh Jha explained that for Kharna, devotees prepare kheer and roti on a clay stove using mango wood. This Prasad is offered to the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya in the evening and later consumed as a sattvik meal. He noted that the Kharna Prasad serves as the final pure meal before the rigorous 36-hour fast, helping devotees prepare physically and mentally.
The preparation of the offerings is accompanied by traditional folk songs, emphasizing devotion and purity. Families use items such as vermilion, rice, bamboo baskets, incense, sweet potatoes, sugarcane leaves, coconut, camphor, betel nut, turmeric, ginger, lamps, ghee, wheat, and Ganga water. Thekua, a special sweet, holds central importance as the main offering of the festival.
Health and Spiritual Benefits
Astrologer Jha also highlighted the health benefits associated with the Kharna Prasad. Consuming raw sugarcane juice and jaggery during the ritual is believed to reduce skin diseases, eye discomfort, and body blemishes while enhancing health, radiance, and intellectual capacity.
Women observing the fast meticulously prepare the Prasad at home with utmost devotion, ensuring purity and sanctity in every step of the ritual.
As devotees complete Kharna Puja and consume the Prasad, the focus shifts to observing the 36-hour Nirjala fast, a defining feature of the Chhath Mahaparva, symbolizing faith, discipline, and reverence for the Sun God.
