Chhath Parva (छठ पर्व)

Chhath Parva is a four-day sun-worship festival dedicated to Surya and Chhathi Maiya. Devotees observe austere fasting, purity rites and offer arghya to the setting and rising sun at rivers, ponds and ghats across Nepal’s Terai and Kathmandu Valley.

Texts and folk lore praise Surya as the giver of life and health. Worshippers seek blessings for family well-being, recovery from illness and prosperity. Once undertaken, the vow is traditionally continued annually.

1. Nahay-Khay (Sat, 25 Oct 2025): Sacred bath; satvik meal of lauki-bhaat begins the vow.
2. Kharna/Lohanda (Sun, 26 Oct): Day-long fast; evening kheer-prasad marks the final intake before 36-hour water-fast.
3. Sandhya Arghya (Mon, 27 Oct): Sunset offering at ghats with fruits, thekua, sugarcane on bamboo soop.
4. Usha Arghya & Parana (Tue, 28 Oct): Sunrise offering; fast concluded with prasad and family blessings.

• Illuminated ghats and folk songs along Bagmati (Gaurighat/Kupondole), Kamal Pokhari
• Grand observances in Janakpur (Ganga Sagar) and Birgunj (Ghadiarwa Pond)
• Markets brim with bamboo baskets, sugarcane and seasonal fruits

Main hubs: Janakpur, Birgunj, Biratnagar (Terai); in Kathmandu—Bagmati ghats (Gaurighat/Kupondole), Kamal Pokhari.
Festival window 2025: 25–28 Oct 2025.
Key offerings: Sandhya Arghya at sunset on 27 Oct; Usha Arghya at sunrise on 28 Oct (Kathmandu timings below).