Chhath Puja 2025 : Understanding Kharna the Day of Purification

The deeply spiritual four-day festival of Chhath Puja will be celebrated from October 25th to October 28th in 2025The second day, known as Kharna, falls on Sunday, October 26, 2025. This day is pivotal, marking a period of intense purification and preparation for the main offerings of the festival.

On Kharna, devotees undertake a rigorous fast, abstaining from both food and even a single drop of water from sunrise to sunset. This strict 'Nirjala Vrat' is observed to cleanse the body and mind, helping to build the inner strength and focus required for the even longer fast to come.

Key Timings for Kharna (October 26, 2025):

• Sunrise: Approximately 05:54 AM
• Sunset: Approximately 05:41 PM
  (Note: Exact timings may vary slightly based on your geographical location.)

The Significance and Rituals of the Day

The word 'Kharna' itself relates to purification t is a day of self-discipline and devotion, believed to be when Chhathi Maiya, the goddess worshipped during the festival, enters the devotee's home.

The day's fast is broken only after sunset, following a special prayer and the preparation of a sacred meal. Key rituals include:

• Preparing the Prasad: In the evening, a special prasad is cooked with utmost cleanliness and piety. This meal traditionally consists of 'Rasiyaw' (a kheer made with jaggery and rice) and rotis (flatbreads).Often, this is prepared on an earthen stove using mango wood.
• Breaking the Fast: After offering the prasad to the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya, the devotee (known as the Vrati) consumes this sacred meal
• The Start of the Long Fast: Once the Vrati partakes in the Kharna prasad, their arduous 36-hour waterless fast begins This fast continues until the final day of Chhath Puja, when offerings are made to the rising sunThe prasad is then shared with family and friends, spreading the blessings of the occasion.

Kharna is therefore a crucial and deeply meaningful day that embodies the discipline, purity, and devotion central to the celebration of Chhath Puja.

Read More: Dietary Traditions for Sunday: Foods to Avoid for Well-being