Chhath Puja Nepal Terai Festival Guide

Overview

Chhath Puja is celebrated on the sixth day of the bright fortnight in the Nepali month of Kartik (October-November). It is primarily observed in the Terai districts of Madhesh Province — Janakpur, Birgunj, Dhanusha, and Saptari — and increasingly in Kathmandu's Bagmati riverbanks as the Madheshi diaspora has grown. The festival is dedicated to the sun god Surya and his sister Chhathi Maiya and involves four days of strict rituals culminating in dawn and dusk offerings made while standing waist-deep in river water.

The evening offering (Sandhya Arghya) on the third day and the sunrise offering (Usha Arghya) on the fourth are the visual highlights. Thousands of devotees, mostly women, stand in the river holding bamboo baskets filled with fruits, sugarcane, and thekua (a special fried sweet), offering them to the setting and rising sun. The riverbanks are lit with oil lamps, and devotional songs called Chhath geet fill the air through the night.

Watching Chhath Puja from Janakpur's Dhanush Sagar pond or the Bagmati ghats in Kathmandu is a memorable experience. Non-participants should stand back from the water and refrain from photography without permission.

FAQ

Is Chhath Puja only celebrated by Madheshi communities?
Chhath Puja is primarily a Maithil, Bhojpuri, and Awadhi tradition but has spread widely across Nepal. It is now a public holiday and celebrated in most Terai towns.

Can I eat during the Chhath fasting period?
Chhath fasting is one of the strictest in Hinduism — devotees abstain from food and water for 36 hours during the final two days. Observers who are not fasting can eat normally.