The five-day festival of Diwali is followed by the celebration of Chhath, during which women observe a fast for their children. This year this festival is being celebrated from November 17th to November 20th. Today is its second day which is known as Kharna. On this day, devotees observe fast for a period of about 8 to 12 hours and prepare dishes like jaggery kheer, kaddu-bhaat, and thekua-gujiya. After the completion of the fast, these dishes are eaten with family members. Apart from this, people also wear new clothes and celebrate the auspicious occasion with their friends and family.
The ingredients of Kharna Puja
- Two large bamboo baskets for keeping Prasad
- bamboo or brass soup
- A pot (for offering milk and water)
- a plate
- paan
- Betel
- Rice
- Vermilion
- ghee lamp
- Honey
- incense or incense sticks
- sweet potatoes
- Suthni
- wheat, rice flour
- Jaggery
- thekua
- new clothes for fasting
- Sugarcane with 5 leaves
- Green plant of radish, ginger and turmeric
- big lemon
- Fruits like pear, banana and custard apple
- coconut water
- sweets
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Kharna Puja Vidhi
- From today, the fasting people will start fasting for 36 hours without water.
- After performing puja this evening, women will observe a waterless fast for 36 hours and offer Arghya to the Sun.
- In the evening, ghee-based bread, jaggery kheer and fruits are offered to the Lord.
- After offering Bhog, women take it as Prasad.
- After this his 36-hour waterless fast begins.
- This fast ends after offering Arghya to the Sun on the fourth day.
- Women start preparing to make Prasad a day in advance to offer Arghya the next day.
Do not ignore these rules during the Chhath fast
- Do not allow small children to touch any puja item.
- Do not feed prasad to the child until the puja is completed.
- Never use abusive language with the devotee or family members during Chhath Puja.
- Women who observe Chhath Maiyya fast should sleep on a cloth spread on the floor instead of sleeping on a bed or cot for all four days.
- During the Chhath festival, the entire family including the fasting person should consume satvik food.
- Make sure to clean your hands before touching any puja object.