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News Article:
Devotees Offer Evening Prayers as Chhath Puja Reaches Key Ritual: Sunset Arghya
[City, Date – Assumed November 5, 2025, based on implied timing] – Today marks the third and arguably most significant day of Chhath Puja, with devotees across the region participating in the sacred Sandhya Arghya, the offering to the setting sun. This day is a powerful symbol of faith, devotion, and gratitude.
Observed primarily by women, the day involves a rigorous fast, broken only after offering prayers to the setting sun. Families gathered at riverbanks and ponds this evening to perform the rituals with deep reverence.
According to the Panchang, the most auspicious time for the evening Arghya was 5:40 PM. During this time, fasting women, adorned in new clothes after a ritual bath, waded into the water to offer their prayers.
The evening puja is considered especially significant, with devotees praying for the well-being, prosperity, and longevity of their families. The rituals are performed with utmost purity and simplicity.
The offerings, prepared with great care, include thekua, jaggery kheer (sweet rice pudding), rice, fruits, and sugarcane, all arranged in bamboo baskets. While offering water to the sun, the women stand in the water, joined by their families, singing devotional songs dedicated to Chhathi Maiya.
Offering Arghya to the setting sun is a profound act of gratitude in the Chhath Mahaparv. It signifies appreciation for nature and acceptance of life’s challenges. The evening arghya is traditionally dedicated to Pratyusha, believed to be the wife of Surya, representing the sun’s last rays.
Devotees are reminded to mix red sandalwood, vermillion, and red flowers in the water offered to the sun. It is also recommended to focus on the sun’s rays and chant the mantra “Om Suryaya Namah” 11 times while offering the arghya, followed by circumambulating three times facing the sun.
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