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Nov 10, 2026
Dr. Pinku Jha

Chhath Puja: From the Sacred Rivers of Bihar to Global Cultural Imagination Part I

Chhath Puja, one of the most distinctive festivals of the Bhartiya civilisational tradition, represents a remarkable relationship between human beings, nature, spirituality and collective cultural memory. The festival is currently a formal nominee for the 2026–27 evaluation cycle. UNESCO will review the dossier and make its final decision during that period. Deeply rooted in the cultural landscapes of Bihar, Mithila, eastern Uttar Pradesh and the adjoining regions of the Indian subcontinent, the festival has gradually transcended its regional boundaries to become an internationally recognised expression of Indian cultural heritage. Unlike many religious celebrations in which the worship of deities is centred on temples, idols and priest-mediated rituals, Chhath is distinguished by its direct engagement with the natural elements: the Sun, water, earth and the agricultural produce of the land. Its central act of offering Arghya to both the setting and rising Sun reflects an understanding of existence through cycles of creation, continuity, gratitude and renewal. It is interesting to note Chhath Puja as a living expression of proximity to Vedic-inspired nature worship, its four-day ritual structure, its distinctive practices of fasting, purity, attire, folk music and food offerings, and its transformation from a regional observance into a global cultural phenomenon. It also examines the subtle distinction between faith and blind faith, arguing that the festival's enduring relevance lies not merely in its religious observance but in its potential to promote ecological consciousness, social participation, cultural preservation and a more inclusive understanding of Bhartiya heritage. A Festival That Worships the Sources of Life Among the many festivals that constitute the extraordinary diversity of Bhartiya culture, Chhath Puja occupies a particularly distinctive position. Originating in the cultural and geographical landscape of Bihar, especially the ancient regions of Mithila, Magadh and Anga, Chhath has evolved into a festival whose presence is now visible far beyond its place of origin. From the banks of the Ganga in Patna and Munger to the rivers of Mauritius, the Netherlands, Suriname, Fiji, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates, communities of Indian origin continue to recreate its sacred relationship with the Sun and water (Sagar & Sharma 2026). The importance of Chhath, however, cannot be understood merely through its geographical expansion. Its deeper significance lies in the nature of its worship. Unlike festivals in which the central ritual revolves around an idol, temple or elaborate priest-mediated ceremony, Chhath places the devotee directly before the natural world. The Sun is visible, water is tangible, the earth provides the offerings, and the devotee becomes the principal participant in the act of worship. There is no elaborate separation between the sacred and the natural. At the centre of this observance are Surya Dev, the solar deity, and Chhathi Maiya, the divine feminine power associated with protection, fertility, well-being and the sixth-day observance. The word Chhath itself is associated with Shashthi, the sixth lunar day. Chhathi Maiya should not simply be equated with a ray of sunlight. In traditional interpretations, she is understood as a protective maternal divinity, while the worship of Surya encompasses the life-sustaining power of the Sun. The evening and morning offerings are also associated with Pratyusha and Usha, respectively, in some traditional interpretations of solar worship. The festival's spiritual philosophy is perhaps best expressed through a simple observation: Chhath does not ask humanity to conquer nature; it asks humanity to acknowledge its dependence upon nature. The Bihar Tourism Department recognises Chhath as one of the defining festivals of Bihar and highlights its unusual practice of offering prayers to both the setting and rising Sun (Government of Bihar). The philosophical foundations of Chhath can be understood through the broader tradition of nature reverence in the Vedic civilisation. In the Rig Veda, Surya is celebrated as a cosmic power associated with illumination, movement, knowledge and the sustaining order of existence. The solar hymns, including the famous Gayatri Mantra (Rig Veda 3.62.10), demonstrate the central place of solar illumination in Bhartiya spiritual thought. The significance of this connection requires historical precision. It would be inaccurate to claim that the present four-day Chhath ritual is described in exactly its modern form in the Rig Veda. Rather, Chhath can be interpreted as a living regional tradition that shares important philosophical and ritual characteristics with ancient Vedic solar worship The Four Sacred Days: Ritual, Discipline and Collective Participation Chhath Puja is generally observed over four consecutive days during Kartik Shukla Chaturthi to Saptami. The principal Kartik observance occurs approximately six days after Diwali. A second observance, known as Chaiti Chhath, takes place during the Chaitra month, generally in March–April. Each day has a distinct religious purpose, and the sequence represents a gradual movement from purification to self-discipline, collective worship and spiritual completion. Day One: Nahay-Khay — The Beginning of Purification The first day, Nahay-Khay, literally conveys the idea of bathing and eating. It establishes the foundation of physical and ritual purity for the festival. The Vrati, the person undertaking the principal observance, begins by cleaning the house, kitchen and surrounding space. A ritual bath is taken, traditionally in the Ganga or another sacred water body, although a clean bathing arrangement at home is also followed where necessary. Food preparation follows strict standards of cleanliness. The traditional meal commonly includes lauki-bhaat (bottle gourd with rice), accompanied by chana dal. It is prepared without onion and garlic, following the family's Sattvik conventions. Traditionally, a clean cooking area and dedicated utensils are maintained. The Vrati consumes this meal, often as the principal meal of the day. Other family members may also participate in the meal. The significance of Nahay-Khay lies in the understanding that devotion begins before the formal prayer. Cleanliness, restraint and disciplined preparation are themselves expressions of worship. Day Two: Kharna — The Discipline of Restraint The second day is known as Kharna, also called Lohanda in some regions. It is one of the most important states of observance. The Vrati observes a fast throughout the day, generally without food or water, and breaks it only after sunset following the evening worship. The preparation of Kharna prasad is carried out with particular care. The traditional offerings include rice pudding or Rasiyaw, prepared with rice, milk and jaggery, accompanied by wheat-flour roti. In many households, the food is prepared on a clay hearth using traditional fuel, although practices vary. After offering the food to Chhathi Maiya and performing the prescribed prayers, the Vrati consumes the prasad. It is subsequently distributed among family members and others. Following Kharna, the principal period of Nirjala Vrat begins. This fast continues through the evening Arghya and the following morning's Arghya, lasting approximately 36 hours, depending on the timing of the observance. It is important to distinguish the daytime Kharna fast from the subsequent extended Nirjala fast. They are separate stages of the ritual. Kharna represents restraint, discipline and the transformation of ordinary food into sacred sharing. The act of distributing prasad also demonstrates that the festival's spiritual benefits are understood collectively rather than as the private possession of an individual devotee. Day Three: Sandhya Arghya — Reverence to the Setting Sun The third day is the most visually recognisable part of Chhath Puja. Known as Sandhya Arghya, it involves offering prayers to the setting Sun. Preparations begin much earlier in the day. Families prepare the principal offerings, clean the bamboo baskets and arrange the prasad. Thekua, fruits, sugarcane, coconut, rice laddus and seasonal agricultural produce are carefully placed in bamboo soop and daura. By late afternoon, devotees and their families gather at riverbanks, ponds, lakes and specially prepared water bodies. The Vrati enters the water, generally standing with water around the waist or lower body, and offers Arghya to the setting Sun. The sight of hundreds or thousands of devotees standing in the water while the Sun descends towards the horizon is one of the most powerful visual expressions of collective Bhartiya spirituality. Traditional Chhath songs accompany the observance. These songs are especially important because they preserve the cultural memory of Bihar and Mithila through oral transmission. In selected families, the Kosi ritual is also performed. Sugarcane stalks are arranged as a canopy, beneath which earthen lamps and offerings are placed. The practice carries associations with family vows, gratitude and the fulfilment of devotional commitments. The setting Sun is not worshipped as a declining force but as an equally worthy manifestation of the cosmic cycle. This is perhaps the most intellectually distinctive feature of Chhath. Day Four: Usha Arghya — Welcoming the Rising Sun The fourth and final day is known as Usha Arghya. Before sunrise, devotees return to the riverbanks or other designated water bodies. The Vrati once again stands in the water and offers Arghya, this time to the rising Sun. The first rays of sunlight mark the completion of the principal ritual sequence. Following prayers and the completion of the prescribed observances, the Vrati performs Parana, the formal breaking of the fast. The prasad is distributed among family members, neighbours and the wider community. The movement from Sandhya Arghya to Usha Arghya completes a profound symbolic circle: from sunset to sunrise, from withdrawal to renewal, and from physical austerity to collective celebration. The Material Culture of Chhath: Attire, Prasad, Music and Ritual Objects The extraordinary character of Chhath is not limited to its spiritual philosophy. Its material culture represents an equally important dimension of Bhartiya heritage. The attire, utensils, food, songs and agricultural objects associated with the festival are all part of its cultural vocabulary. Attire and ritual purity: The Vrati generally wears freshly washed or new, clean traditional clothing. Women commonly wear sarees, often in yellow, red, orange or other auspicious colours. In several traditional households, a Vrati prefers an unstitched or minimally stitched garment, reflecting ritual simplicity. Men undertaking the fast may wear a dhoti and traditional upper garment. An important aspect is that clothing is not simply decorative. It communicates the transition from ordinary domestic life to a period of heightened spiritual discipline. Thekua: The culinary identity of Chhath The most recognisable prasad of Chhath is Thekua, a traditional sweet prepared using wheat flour, jaggery or sugar and ghee. Its dough is shaped and traditionally pressed into wooden moulds or patterned surfaces before being fried. Other important offerings include: Kasar/Bhushba: A traditional sweet preparation generally made from rice flour, coarsely crushed kali mirch, jaggery or sugar and ghee Rasiyaw/ Gud-Kheer: Rice pudding prepared with milk and jaggery, particularly associated with Kharna Fruits: Bananas, coconuts, apples, oranges and seasonal fruits Sugarcane: An important agricultural offering, often arranged in pairs and used in the Kosi ritual Ginger and other seasonal produce: Included in offerings according to regional and family customs The offerings are arranged in bamboo baskets and winnowing trays called daura and soop. These objects represent the importance of local craftsmanship and the agrarian economy. The preference for locally available agricultural produce is significant. Rather than separating religious observance from everyday economic life, Chhath incorporates the harvest, the household kitchen and the work of local artisans into its devotional structure (Singh, 2009; Bihar Tourism, n.d.). Folk songs: The living archive of Bihar and Mithila Perhaps no other element captures the emotional atmosphere of Chhath as effectively as its folk music. The songs are traditionally transmitted from mothers to daughters, from mothers-in-law to daughters-in-law and across generations of families. Their language includes Bhojpuri, Maithili, Magahi and other regional expressions. Among the widely recognised Chhath songs are: Kelwa Ke Paat Par Ugalan Suruj Dev Kaanch Hi Baans Ke Bahangiya Pahile Pahil Chhathi Maiya Ho Dinanath The musical contribution of the late Sharda Sinha deserves particular recognition. Her renditions helped bring regional Chhath music to audiences across India and the diaspora, preserving the emotional character of traditional folk compositions while making them accessible to newer generations. The significance of these songs is sociological as well as musical. They narrate the longing of women returning to their parental homes, the relationship between a daughter and her mother, the anxieties of a household, the blessings of Chhathi Maiya and the everyday realities of agrarian society. Note: Several narratives and ritual descriptions in this section are informed by conversations with Nutan Ji and Simpy Rani, a vrati from Darbhanga, Bihar. Inputs from other individuals have also contributed to different sections, alongside published scholarly sources. References Government of Bihar, Department of Tourism. (n.d.). Chhath Puja. Bihar Tourism. https://tourism.bihar.gov.in/en/experiences/festivals-and-fairs/festivals/chhath-puja Ministry of Culture, Government of India. (2025, September 16). Ministry of Culture leads multinational nomination of Chhath Mahaparva to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List. https://culture.gov.in/latest-news/ministry-culture-leads-multinational-nomination-chhath-mahaparva-unescos-intangible Press Information Bureau, Government of India. (2025, September 16). Ministry of Culture convenes consultations on multinational nomination of Chhath Mahaparva to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2167207&lang=2®=48 Chakraborty, S. (n.d.). Chhath Puja: Origin of the festival, and the story of Devasena. Sahapedia. https://www.sahapedia.org/ Encyclopaedia Britannica. (n.d.). Chhath Puja. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Chhath-Puja The Indian Express. (2025). Chhath Puja 2025 explained: History, significance, rituals, and why it holds a special place in Bihar. https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-culture/chhath-puja-what-is-the-festival-its-significance-10329982/ Yadav, A. (2026). Chaṭha Pūjā as lived religion: Beliefs, practices and festivities. Asian Anthropology, 25(2), 133–136. https://doi.org/10.1080/1683478X.2025.2563988 Gunarathna, R. M. D. S., & Madara, W. (2025). A cultural study of Chhath Puja. 11th International Research Conference, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, Abstract Book. https://www.sab.ac.lk/sslsas/abstracts/PastAbstractsPDF/11th_SSLSAS_2025_Abstract_Book.pdf Manjul, S., & Manjul, S. K. (2026). An archaeological and ethnographic exploration of ritual survivals within Chhath Puja: Evidence for the persistence of early agrarian traditions in the Middle Ganga Plains. Indian History Journal. https://doi.org/10.66871/ihj.v1i1.018 Rig Veda. (n.d.). Mandala 3, Sukta 62, Mantra 10. The Gayatri Mantra, traditionally associated with Savitr and solar illumination. Singh, R. P. B. (2009). Ethno-geography of the Sun Goddess festival, ‘Chhatha’, in Bhojpur region, India: From locality to universality. Man in India, 89(1–2), 103–120. Sagar, S., & Sharma, R. N. (2026). From cuisine to ceremony in Mauritius: A sociological study of cultural preservation in the Bhojpuri diaspora. Sociological Bulletin, 75(3), 341–357. https://doi.org/10.1177/00380229261423571 Bihar Bhawan, Government of Bihar. (2024). Newsletter: Chhath Puja—A celebration of faith, devotion and nature. https://www.biharbhawan.gov.in/docs/eMagazine/Newsletter_Dec_2024.pdf Jagran. (2021). Mahaparv Chhath Puja: The shade of Chhath is unique in Mithila; many stories are prevalent. https://www.jagran.com/bihar/bhagalpur-mahaparv-chhath-puja-the-shade-of-chhath-is-unique-in-mithila-many-stories-are-prevalent-22190993.html

Nov 07, 2026
Viren S Doshi

US Military Assistance to Israel: Defence Strategy eclipsed in 'Strategic Politics'

Overview Apart from the recent political spate in the midst of Midterm Elections, a vocal contingent within Washington’s foreign policy establishment has championed a specific narrative for decades: that the United States of America is overextended in the Middle East, and that cutting military assistance to perennial democratic ally Israel in the region is a prerequisite for saving American tax dollars. Recent leftist pro-Jihadi anti-Semitic politics twisted and extended this “logic” to affordability of common American households for daily consumption foods like banana, may be they think US is a banana republic or they want to make it so. Laughable. And ironically, somehow, they even managed to reach the American Senate - the sanctum sanctorum of American Democracy. Back to strategy. This worldview treats global theatres as siloed, independent squares on a chessboard. It views the defence of Eastern Europe, the preservation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), and the ongoing war in Ukraine as entirely separate matters from the asymmetric conflicts raging across the Levant. This perspective is dangerously obsolete and flawed. It fails to recognise the defining geopolitical reality of the 21st century: the dangerous, transactional convergence between transnational Jihadist networks and the global authoritarian alliance anchored by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-occupied China. By analysing the raw fiscal numbers, the operational dividends, and the nature of this unified adversary, it becomes clear that American military aid to Israel is not an act of charity — it is the single most cost-effective national security investment in the United States budget. If stopped, heavens are not going to fall, Israel is already preparing itself for this eventuality, but it reflects heavily on strategic understanding of current geopolitical polarisations and domestic politicisation of strategic issues in vulnerable democracies. Asymmetric Math: Weighing the Scales To understand the sheer efficiency of American defence investments, one must look directly at the economic ledger. The United States currently operates under a ten-year Memorandum of Understanding that allocates $3.8 billion annually in military assistance to Israel. No other assistance is given to Israel except this military assistance. Measured against the scale of the broader $7.40 trillion American budget or Israel's own rapidly growing $610 billion to $720 billion Gross Domestic Product (GDP), this direct grant is mathematically too little — constituting a mere 0.5% to 0.6% of Israel’s total economic output. And for the US too, it is peanuts - 0.05%. But Muslim and Leftist Democrats have made it a bone of contention in the midterm elections. Abdul El-sayed ad said that banana is beyond affordability for Americans because of this minuscule military assistance to Israel. What a fake narrative… And how it resonated with many of the voters… Now, look at the other scales of American global expenditures. Since 2022, the United States, under President Biden and then onwards, has appropriated over $175 billion to address the war in Ukraine, with direct bilateral aid alone consuming roughly $115 billion to $127 billion. No narratives were thrown around about the affordability of this aid in Biden’s pathetic rule. Simultaneously, the United States spends between $750 million and $900 million annually just to cover its direct administrative dues for NATO's central operating budget, while dedicating a massive $1 trillion overall national defence budget to act as the primary security guarantor for the 32-nation alliance, which ironically includes majorly non-European Muslim-dominant anti-Israel country, Turkiye and doesn't include Cyprus - the country with almost half of its land illegally occupied by Turkiye. Both these aids are being trimmed by Trump Administration. But the asymmetric anti-Semitic war of narratives goes on to malign the administration. When laid bare, the financial comparison is staggering. For a fraction of the cost of continental security commitments, the United States secures an ultra-advanced, self-sufficient technological partner that requires zero American boots on the ground to defend itself and American as well as free world stakes across the globe as the Middle East has been the den of global Jihadi terrorism backed by the Communist Leftist Socialist Globalist Woke Jihadi Axis. In fact, hate against America equally gets reflected in the Ayatollah Regime’s agenda and actions. It has plans for not only nukes but intercontinental missiles too. It has been blacklisted for decades by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The Unified Axis: Jihadism Meets the CCP The argument for cutting Middle Eastern defence commitments completely falls apart when examining the relationship between transnational Islamist networks—such as the Muslim Brotherhood and its various regional offshoots—and the Politburo in Beijing. While an officially atheist or anti-faith communist regime and a radical “religio-geopolitical” movement share no ideological common ground, they are fundamentally hand-in-glove when it comes to their primary objective: the systematic erosion of democratic pre-eminence in the World. China acts as the ultimate economic backstop for this Axis of Convenience. By purchasing millions of barrels of sanctioned oil from state sponsors of terrorism - the Ayatollah Regime and Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), CCP injects tens of billions of dollars worth of hard currency into the exact financial pipelines that bankroll proxy networks across the Middle East. Furthermore, China routinely exploits its veto power on the United Nations Security Council to provide diplomatic shielding for these hostile entities, ensuring that Western-led stabilisation efforts are consistently neutered and countered on the global stage. The opportunism of this alliance is stark. Transnational Islamist groups have maintained a coordinated, complicit silence regarding Communist China's domestic crackdowns on Muslim populations within its own borders. In return, China integrates these radical elements into its sweeping Belt and Road Initiative, offering infrastructure loans and international legitimacy to groups like the Taliban in Afghanistan and a military-dominated power structure in Pakistan, provided they help protect the CCP’s highly exploitative regional resource-extraction operations. Israel as the Frontline Deterrent In this interconnected global war theatre and proximate battlefield, Israel is not fighting a localised, isolated war. It is actively engaging the frontline proxies of a unified authoritarian evil anti-democratic nexus. When Israel intercepts hypersonic missiles, exposes extensive underground cross-border tunnel networks, or dismantles the leadership structures of designated terrorist organisations and FATF-blacklisted Iran, it is directly degrading capabilities that are funded by Iranian oil wealth and secured by Chinese Communist diplomatic leverage. The dividends returned to the American taxpayer from this relationship are unparalleled. The joint Research and Development (R&D) financed by American foreign military funds has birthed revolutionary defence paradigms — including the Iron Dome, the Arrow missile defence systems, and active trophy protection mechanisms for armoured vehicles—all of which are integrated directly back into the United States Armed Forces. Moreover, the intelligence-sharing pipelines between Jerusalem and Washington systematically neutralise threats to critical global trade chokepoints, such as the Suez Canal, without requiring the deployment of American military personnel. Conclusion: Cost of Strategic Blindness To suggest that the United States can effectively confront the competition in Europe or in the Indo-Pacific by abandoning its strategic anchor in the Middle East is a profound miscalculation. And its politicisation in domestic politics by the centre-left is abominable, to say the least. It is more un-American or anti-American than anti-Israel. NATO and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine do not directly engage or disrupt the financial and proxy networks that connect the Middle East to CCP's grand strategy. Instead by directly weakening of both Russia and NATO, it indirectly strengthens the Communist Jihadi Axis led by the CCP. Ukraine war must stop while the war on Ayatollah must reach, aid or no aid to Israel, to its logical end. This is common sense. Israel bears the direct human cost of fighting the proxy forces of this authoritarian convergence at the risk of its own precious human resources, Jews being a global minority in a very precarious position from a security point of view given the acerbic rhetoric by its enemies advocating and pursuing total elimination of Israel and Jews. If the United States allows the scales of its foreign assistance to be dictated by leftist Anti-Semitic Jihadi “Democratic”(In Name Only) “blue-green” rhetoric on home turf and the most dangerous red-green nexus overseas rather than cold, strategic arithmetic, that too in the face of the World Trade Centre attack and the relatively recent Hamas attack that killed Americans, it will weaken its most battle-tested ally precisely when the global authoritarian anti-democratic axis is tightening its grip. How can one forget the heinous attempt to hijack a plane in the Middle East by a terrorist in the disguise of a pilot only weeks back? Didn't it have four Americans also on board? Supporting Israel is not an alternative to confronting global threats; it is a foundational prerequisite for defeating the Communist Leftist Socialist Globalist Woke Jihadi Axis. This is the fulcrum which would decide which way the geopolitical seesaw sits - right or left. Let us hope it sits on the righteous right and the ludicrous left gets left high and dry.