Chitwan & the Terai · Janakpur
Chhath
छठ
Chhath is the great sun festival of Mithila. Over four days, women fast, then stand in Janakpur's sacred ponds at sunset and again at sunrise to offer prayers and baskets of fruit and thekua to the sun. The ghats of Ganga Sagar and Dhanush Sagar glow with lamps.
Chhath honours Surya, the sun, and Chhathi Maiya, a mother goddess, and is the most important festival of the Maithil and Bhojpuri plains. It falls six days after the Laxmi Puja of Tihar, on the sixth day of the bright half of Kartik. Families prepare for days, cleaning houses and ponds and making offerings of fruit, sugarcane and thekua, a crisp sweet of wheat flour, jaggery and ghee.
The festival runs over four days. Devotees, mostly women, bathe and eat a single pure meal, then keep a strict fast, often without water. On the third evening they walk in procession to the ponds and rivers carrying bamboo baskets of offerings, stand waist-deep in the water and offer arghya, a prayer and water offering, to the setting sun.
The climax is the following dawn. Before first light the ghats of Janakpur fill again with families, songs and lamps, and the devotees stand in the water facing east until the sun rises. After the dawn offering the fast is broken and prasad is shared with everyone present, including visitors. A smaller Chhath is also observed in spring, in the month of Chaitra.
Tips
- Be at Ganga Sagar or Dhanush Sagar at least an hour before sunrise on the final morning.
- Book rooms in Janakpur weeks ahead; many families return home for Chhath.
- Stay on the edges of the ghats and leave space for the devotees and their offerings.
- Ask before photographing women in the water, and never use a flash during the prayers.
Questions
When is Chhath in Janakpur?
Chhath falls on the sixth day of the bright half of Kartik, six days after the Laxmi Puja of Tihar, usually between late October and mid-November. The festival lasts four days, with the main offerings at sunset on the third day and sunrise on the fourth. Check current status before you travel for the exact dates each year.
Can tourists attend Chhath?
Yes. Visitors are welcome to watch from the edges of the ghats and are often offered prasad, such as thekua and fruit, after the dawn prayers. Dress modestly, keep a respectful distance from devotees in the water, and follow the lead of local families. Going with a guide helps.
What is thekua?
Thekua is a crisp, sweet biscuit made from wheat flour, jaggery and ghee, pressed into moulds and fried. It is the main offering at Chhath and is shared as prasad after the dawn prayers. Sweet shops in Janakpur sell it around the festival.
Where is the best place to see Chhath in Janakpur?
Ganga Sagar and Dhanush Sagar, the two most sacred ponds near the city centre, have the largest gatherings. Smaller ponds across the city and villages around Janakpur are quieter and more intimate. Arrive early to find a good spot without blocking devotees.