Chhat Puja- Intangible Cultural Heritage of Bihar
- CRIAAS Nashik
- Jun 3
- 5 min read
Puja Kumari : M.A (Fine) Museology (Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda)
Chhath Puja is a unique form of intangible cultural heritage that plays an important role in shaping the identities of the communities that celebrate it. The rituals, practices, and beliefs associated with the festival are passed down through generations, ensuring its continuity. This festival fosters social cohesion, as families and communities come together to prepare for and partake in the observances. Additionally, its deep spiritual significance enhances the cultural identity of its practitioners, reinforcing a shared sense of belonging. (Badikilaya, 2019)

Epic Origins of Chhath Puja
References to Chhath Puja can be found in Hindu epics and Puranas. According to the Ramayana, Goddess Sita performed the Chhath Vrata upon her return to Ayodhya, receiving the blessing of twin children as a result of her observance. Similarly, in the Mahabharata, Kunti and Draupadi are believed to have performed Chhath Puja after escaping from the house of lac. The text (3.16.31) prescribes the worship of the Sun God through fasting as a sacred ritual, which has since been followed as part of the festival. The Brahmavaivarta Purana suggests that during the creation of the universe, Purusha and Prakriti were formed, with Prakriti further dividing into various elements, one of which was Chhathi/Shasthi. (Jha, 2024)
The festival also holds significance in Hindu epics. In the Mahabharata, Karna—the son of Surya Dev and Kunti—offered prayers while standing in water and distributed Prasad among devotees, Rishis, and others. Another story recounts how Draupadi and the Pandavas performed a similar worship to defeat and dethrone the Kauravas
According to the Ramayana, after returning from a 14-year exile, Lord Rama and Mata Janaki (Sita) observed a fast in honor of Surya Dev and broke it at dawn. This event is believed to have established Chhath Puja as a significant Hindu festival observed annually during Kartika (Shukla Paksha).
Chhath Puja in Bihar: Devotion and Ritualistic Grandeur
Chhath Puja is one of the most revered festivals in Bihar, celebrated with deep faith and elaborate rituals. It is dedicated to the worship of the Sun God, venerated in the feminine form as Chhathi Maiya. The festival is observed twice a year—during the Chaitra (March-April, spring) and Kartika (October-November, autumn) fortnights—with the latter being more widely celebrated with grand public participation.
Nahay Khay (Purification and Preparation)
The first day, known as Nahay Khay or "bathe and eat," marks the beginning of the purification process. Devotees take a ritual bath in a sacred water body and bring the holy water home for preparing a simple meal of rice and bottle gourd. This meal is consumed to purify the body in preparation for the forthcoming fast.
Kharna (Fasting and Prasad Preparation): On the second day, devotees observe a strict fast until evening. At sunset, offerings of kheer (sweetened rice pudding), puri (fried bread), and bananas are prepared and presented as prasad on banana leaves in the courtyard. After distributing the offerings among family, neighbors, and fellow devotees, a 36-hour waterless fast begins as an act of devotion and penance. Kharna means to just taste the food and have it like a prasad.
Sandhya Arghya (Evening Offering to the Sun): The third day is dedicated to the evening Arghya or offering to the setting sun. Devotees spend the day preparing prasad, which includes a variety of fruits, legumes, rice, and other items of cultural significance. These are arranged in handmade vessels such as Dagra (round bamboo tray), Daliya/Dala (large bamboo basket), Tokri (small bamboo basket), and Soop/Supali (bamboo winnowing tray). The devotees carry these offerings to the Chhath ghat (riverbank or water body) on their heads.
Usha Arghya (Morning Offering to the Sun) The final day begins before dawn as devotees take another ritual bath and return to the ghat to offer prayers to the rising sun. Standing in the water, they worship until sunrise, at which point they conclude their observance by pouring water from brass pots into the river. Family members participate by offering milk or water in brass pots and seeking blessings. A traditional belief holds that wiping oneself with the devotee’s wet cloth can cure skin ailments. The fast is then broken with a simple meal of rice and pumpkin curry, known as Paran.


Chhath Puja as an Intangible Cultural Heritage
Chhath Puja qualifies as intangible cultural heritage (ICH) as it embodies traditional rituals, practices, beliefs, and oral expressions that have been transmitted across generations, shaping the collective cultural identity of its practitioners. According to UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, ICH encompasses social practices, rituals, and festive events that provide communities with a sense of identity and continuity, ensuring cultural preservation while allowing for adaptation to changing contexts. Rooted in ancient Vedic traditions, Chhath Puja has maintained its fundamental customs over centuries, demonstrating its resilience as a living tradition that continues to evolve while retaining its core significance.
The festival plays a crucial role in fostering social cohesion, as its observance necessitates collective participation, reinforcing intergenerational knowledge transmission and communal solidarity. Furthermore, Chhath Puja embodies a spiritual and ecological dimension, as its rituals involve devotional fasting, ritual purification, and prayers to the Sun deity, symbolizing a harmonious relationship between humanity and the natural environment. The worship of the Sun, regarded as a source of life, health, and prosperity, aligns the festival with traditional ecological knowledge systems, emphasizing water conservation, environmental purity, and sustainability—aspects that are integral to many indigenous and ancient cultural practices.
Additionally, Chhath Puja preserves oral traditions, folksongs, and ritualistic performances, which are central to its intergenerational transmission and contribute to the safeguarding of vernacular religious and cultural expressions. While historically confined to certain regions of northern India, the festival has expanded its reach due to migration, globalization, and digital media, demonstrating the adaptive nature of intangible heritage in contemporary society. By integrating spiritual devotion, social solidarity, environmental awareness, and cultural continuity, Chhath Puja exemplifies the dynamic interplay between tradition and modernity, reinforcing its significance as an intangible cultural heritage that preserves collective memory while evolving in response to socio-cultural transformations. (Singh & Rana, 2010)
References
Badikilaya, & Githa. (2021, January). Chhath Puja - A Study in Religious and Cultural Tourism. Atna Journal of Tourism Studies, 14, 71-76.
Jha, J. (2024). Beneath The Sun: Equality for Everyone The Spirit of Chhath Festival. Beneath The Sun: Equality for Everyone The Spirit of Chhath Festival. Self.
Singh, & Rana, P. (2010). Sun goddess festival, ‘Chhatha’, in Bhojpur Region, India: an Ethnogeography of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Accademia Ambrosiana, II, 59-80.
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