New Delhi: Chhath Puja 2025, falling on October 25, marks the beginning of a deeply spiritual four-day festival dedicated to Surya Dev and Chhathi Maiya. The second day of this festival is called Kharna — a pivotal ritual where devotees observe a day-long fast and break it at sunset with a sacred feast. It is a moment of purification, discipline, and devotion, setting the tone for the days ahead.
Urban lifestyles often challenge traditional celebrations by the riverbanks, but rituals like Kharna hold universal significance. Understanding its customs, importance, and auspicious timings (muhurat) connects every devotee to the ancient spiritual rhythm of Chhath Puja.
Kharna takes place on the second day of Chhath Puja, which will be on October 26, 2025, this year. Devotees observe a strict Nirjala Vrat (fast without water) from sunrise till sunset, embodying self-control and purity. The fast is then broken after evening prayers with special prasad, traditionally jaggery-soaked kheer (known as Rasia) and freshly made roti.
Day-long fasting: Devotees abstain from food and water, cleaning their body and spirit through discipline.
Preparation of prasad: The evening meal consists of Box (sweet jaggery kheer) and wheat roti baked in earthen stoves, symbolising sweetness and sustenance from nature.
Evening worship (Paran): After sunset, the prasad is offered to Chhathi Maiya and Surya Dev during a heartfelt puja, followed by breaking the fast in the presence of family, symbolising community and gratitude.
Spiritual cleansing: The fast and offering embody purity, preparing devotees for the main worship days ahead and inviting blessings for health and prosperity.
The ideal time to break the Kharna fast in 2025 is just after sunset, around 5:41 PM (may vary regionally). Following the fast, devotees begin the rigorous 36-hour Nirjala Vrat (waterless fast) that continues throughout Chhath Puja.
Kharna is a spiritual pillar of Chhath Puja 2025, a moment of sacrifice, sweetness, and sacred preparation. Celebrating it with understanding and devotion enriches your festival experience, blending tradition with heartfelt worship on October 26. Embrace the ritual’s depth, enjoy the divine prasad, and honour the blessings of the Sun God.
