Chhath Puja for Kids: The Sun Festival Explained

Chhath Puja is one of the most beautiful and disciplined festivals in India. Families gather at riverbanks and ponds at sunset and again at sunrise, standing in the water with baskets of fruit and thekua to offer prayers to the Sun. It is celebrated especially in Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh, and by people from these regions wherever they live, including in Nepal and in cities across India and abroad.

For children, Chhath is a wonderful festival to understand because it connects faith, family and nature. This guide explains Chhath Puja for kids: why it is celebrated, the four days of rituals, the stories linked to it and simple ways children can take part.

What is Chhath Puja?

Chhath Puja is dedicated to Surya, the Sun god, and to Chhathi Maiya, a goddess worshipped as a protector of children. "Chhath" comes from the word for six, because the main day falls on the sixth day of the bright half of the month of Kartik, six days after Diwali.

People thank the Sun for life on earth and pray for the health and happiness of their families. Unlike many festivals, Chhath has no idol worship in most homes. Instead, devotees pray directly to the setting and rising Sun.

Why do we thank the Sun?

This is a perfect moment for a little science. The Sun gives us light and warmth. Plants use sunlight to make their food, and animals and people eat those plants. Without the Sun, there would be no day and night, no seasons and no life on earth. The Chhath tradition expresses gratitude for something we often take for granted.

Ask your child: "What would happen if the Sun didn't rise tomorrow?" It opens a fun conversation about light, plants, weather and time.

The four days of Chhath Puja

Day 1: Nahay Khay

"Nahay Khay" means bathe and eat. Devotees take a holy dip, often in a river, clean the house thoroughly and eat one simple, pure meal, often rice, lentils and bottle gourd (lauki) cooked without onion or garlic.

Day 2: Kharna

Devotees fast all day without water. In the evening, after prayers, they eat kheer made with jaggery, along with roti, and share this prasad with family and neighbours. After this, a longer fast begins.

Day 3: Sandhya Arghya (evening offering)

This is the most spectacular day. Families prepare baskets called daura or soop, made of bamboo, filled with fruits, sugarcane, coconut and thekua, a sweet made from wheat flour, jaggery and ghee. At sunset, devotees stand in water and offer arghya, prayers and offerings, to the setting Sun. Riverbanks glow with lamps, and families sing traditional Chhath songs.

Day 4: Usha Arghya (morning offering)

Before dawn, families return to the water. As the Sun rises, devotees offer arghya to the rising Sun. After the prayers, they break their fast and share prasad with everyone.

Stories linked to Chhath

Several stories are told about the origins of Chhath, and families may know different ones.

• Karna and the Sun: In the Mahabharata, the great warrior Karna was the son of Surya. Some traditions say he stood in water every day praying to the Sun, a practice linked to Chhath.

• Draupadi's prayers: Another tradition says Draupadi and the Pandavas worshipped the Sun to overcome their troubles during exile. Read more in our Mahabharata story for kids.

• Ram and Sita: A popular belief says that after returning to Ayodhya, Ram and Sita fasted and worshipped the Sun on this day. See our Ramayana story for kids.

Present these to children as stories that different families tell, rather than as single facts.

What makes Chhath special

Discipline and devotion

Devotees, often mothers, observe a strict fast for around thirty-six hours, including without water. Children can learn about dedication and the love behind these sacrifices. Explain gently that children are not expected to fast.

Cleanliness and nature

Riverbanks and ghats are cleaned before the festival, often by the whole community. It's a great example of looking after shared spaces.

Community

Neighbours help each other, share prasad and sing together. Chhath brings people together across ages and backgrounds.

Simplicity

The offerings are simple: seasonal fruits, sugarcane, thekua and lamps. It shows children that celebration doesn't need expensive things.

Chhath words for kids

Learning a few festival words helps children feel part of the celebration:

• Arghya: An offering made to the Sun, usually of water, milk and prasad.

• Daura or soop: Bamboo baskets that carry the offerings.

• Thekua: The special sweet of Chhath.

• Ghat: Steps leading down to a river or pond where prayers are offered.

• Vrati: The person observing the fast.

• Kharna: The second day, when the evening kheer prasad is shared.

A simple Chhath story to tell

Here is a short story you can tell young children. Little Anu lived in Patna with her grandmother. Every year, Dadi fasted for Chhath. Anu wondered why. On the evening of Sandhya Arghya, she held Dadi's hand as they walked to the river. The sky turned orange, and hundreds of lamps floated on the water. "Why do we pray to the Sun, Dadi?" she asked. "Because the Sun gives us light, food and warmth every single day," said Dadi, "and it never asks for anything back. Today, we say thank you." The next morning, as the Sun rose, Anu folded her hands too and whispered her own thank you.

Chhath activities for kids

• Help make thekua: Children can help mix and shape the dough, then press patterns with a mould.

• Decorate a soop: Use a small basket or a paper plate and decorate it with fruits drawn or cut from paper.

• Sunrise watch: Even if you don't go to a river, wake early once and watch the sunrise together from a balcony or terrace.

• Sun science: Place a plant in sunlight and one in a dark cupboard for a week and compare them.

• Learn a Chhath song: Ask grandparents to teach one traditional song.

• Clean-up drive: Join or organise a small clean-up of a local park or pond.

Chhath and other harvest and Sun festivals

India has many festivals that thank the Sun and celebrate harvest. Makar Sankranti and Pongal, celebrated in January, also honour the Sun. Our guide to Makar Sankranti, Pongal and Lohri for kids explains them, and our article on festivals of India for kids gives a year-round overview. Chhath comes just after Diwali; read the five days of Diwali explained for kids.

Explaining Chhath to different ages

• Ages 3 to 5: "We say thank you to the Sun for giving us light and warmth."

• Ages 5 to 8: Describe the four days and the sunset and sunrise prayers, and make thekua together.

• Ages 8 to 12: Talk about the stories, the discipline of fasting, and the science of the Sun.

Safety at the ghats

Ghats can be crowded, especially at sunset and sunrise. Keep young children close, hold hands near water, dress them warmly for the early morning and agree on a meeting point in case you get separated.

Frequently asked questions

Why is Chhath Puja celebrated?

Chhath Puja is celebrated to thank Surya, the Sun god, and Chhathi Maiya for life and blessings and to pray for the well-being of the family.

When is Chhath Puja celebrated?

It falls six days after Diwali, on the sixth day of the bright half of the month of Kartik, usually in October or November.

What is thekua?

Thekua is a traditional Chhath sweet made from wheat flour, jaggery and ghee, often pressed into decorative shapes.

Where is Chhath Puja celebrated?

Mainly in Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Nepal, and by people from these regions across India and the world.

Do children fast during Chhath?

Children are not expected to observe the strict fast. They can take part by helping prepare offerings and joining prayers.