Today, people across Nepal are celebrating Chhath festival. The main ritual involves worshiping the setting sun this evening. Tomorrow morning, devotees will offer prayers to the rising sun, marking the official end of this year’s Chhath celebrations.
Festival rituals
Chhath is observed from Kartik Shukla Chaturthi to Saptami.
- On the first day, devotees take a ritual bath and eat a single meal.
- On the second day, they offer kheer (rice pudding with sugar) to Goddess Chhathi Maiya and observe fasting, eating only fruits and avoiding salt.
- The main day is Chhath Sashthi, when devotees fast without food and offer prayers to the setting sun.
- The festival concludes the next morning with sunrise worship and offerings.
Devotees gather in large numbers at rivers, ponds, and other water bodies to perform the rituals.
Public holiday and market closure
To mark the festival, the government has declared today a public holiday. All government offices, banks, educational institutions, and financial institutions will remain closed.
The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) will also be closed today, and no trading will take place in the secondary market.
