Chhath Puja Day 3: Sandhya Arghya – Check significance, rituals, timing & more

Chhath Puja Day 3: Sandhya Arghya – Check significance, rituals, muhurat timing & more

Sandhya Arghya, the third day of Chhath Puja, holds great significance in the four-day festival dedicated to the Sun God (Surya Dev) and Chhathi Maiya.

The third day of Chhath Puja is marked by the grand evening offering to the setting sun, symbolising gratitude, purity, and the eternal balance of life.

On this day, the setting sun is worshipped for sustaining life on earth and for seeking blessings of health, prosperity, and happiness.

Devotees observe a rigorous Nirjala Vrat (fast without food or water) from sunrise until the completion of the rituals after sunset.

Sandhya Arghya: Muhurat Timings

Sandhya Arghya will be offered in the evening, between 5:15 PM and 5:45 PM (approximately), when the sun is close to the horizon. The main Arghya offering is done during or just after sunset, when the sun is touching or about to go below the horizon.

According to Drik Panchang, in Delhi, the muhurat time is 5:40 PM.

Sandhya Arghya: Significance

Unlike most Hindu rituals that focus on worshipping the rising sun, Chhath Puja honours both the setting and the rising sun, signifying the eternal balance of nature and the cyclical rhythm of life and death. The offering of Arghya (water oblation) during sunset represents surrender, humility, and thanksgiving. It acknowledges that every end is followed by a new beginning, just as dusk is followed by dawn. By worshipping the setting sun, devotees thank Surya Dev for his continuous benevolence and seek his blessings to remove sorrows, heal ailments, and purify the body and soul. Spiritually, the Sandhya Arghya symbolises letting go of negativity, ego, and past burdens as the day comes to a close.

Sandhya Arghya: Rituals

Families clean their homes, decorate soop (bamboo baskets) with fruits, sugarcane, thekua (a traditional sweet), rice, and other offerings. The banks of rivers, ponds, and ghats are beautifully decorated with lights and flowers, creating a divine and serene atmosphere As the sun begins to set, devotees, dressed in traditional attire, gather near the water bodies carrying their offerings in bamboo baskets. Standing knee-deep in water, they offer Arghya—a ritual of offering water, milk, and flowers—to the setting sun while singing folk songs and chanting mantras.

Source: LiveMint
Related Posts: Chhath Puja 2025 Sandhya Arghya Sandhya Shantaram Actress Sandhya Shantaram Passes Away Maharashtra leaders condole death of Sandhya Shantaram French Woman Enjoys Onam Sandhya In Delhi For First Time PM Modi extends wishes as four-day Chhath Puja begins with Chhath Puja 2025 day 2 Chhath Puja 2025 Day 4 India Post Offering Chhath Puja Subsidy Of Rs 20 Happy Chhath Puja 2025 Wishes