On the third day of Chhath Puja, which falls on Kartik Shukla Shashti, devotees offer ‘Arghya’ to the Sun God at sunset. This year, the Sandhya Arghya is on November 7, 2024. The auspicious time to offer ‘Arghya’ to the Sun will be until 5:29 pm.
Devotees prepare offerings like Thekua and arrange them along with coconut and fruits on a bamboo tray or basket. They carry these offerings while performing a ritual circumambulation before offering them to the setting sun.
Following the ‘Kharna’ ritual on Panchami, married women observe a strict waterless fast from Shashti Tithi (the day of Sandhya Arghya) through the night. On this day, eating or drinking anything is prohibited. The fast is broken the next day on Saptami with the ‘Paran’ ritual.
Before sunset, the devotees and their families reach the banks of ponds, rivers, or ghats to perform Sandhya Arghya, offering water and milk to the Sun God. The worship of Chhathi Maiya (Goddess Chhathi) is also performed on this day.
On Shashti, there is a custom of staying awake through the night as part of the observance. The third day concludes with the offering of ‘Arghya’ to the Sun God, and on the fourth day, with the Usha Arghya (morning offering), the rituals are completed. The same bamboo trays and baskets decorated with fruits and offerings are taken back to the riverbank on the fourth day, where the final Arghya is offered, concluding the Puja.