Chhath Puja, celebrated mainly in Bihar, is also known as:

Chhath Puja is also known as Dala Puja (or Dala Chhath), because of the "dala" or "daura", the bamboo basket in which the offerings to the Sun god are carried to the river bank. It is the most important festival of Bihar, and is also celebrated in Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Nepal, and by people from these regions living in other parts of India.

Chhath Puja is dedicated to Surya, the Sun god, and to Chhathi Maiya (Shashthi Devi), who is regarded as the sister of the Sun and the protector of children. It is celebrated six days after Diwali, on the sixth day (Shashthi) of the bright half of the month of Kartika, in October-November. A second, smaller Chhath is also celebrated in the month of Chaitra.

Chhath is known for its strict rituals of purity and fasting, and is observed mainly by women, called "parvaitin" or "vratis", although men also take part. The festival lasts four days:

Nahay Khay: the devotees bathe in a river and eat a simple, pure meal.

Kharna (Lohanda): the devotees fast all day without water and break the fast in the evening with kheer made of jaggery and rice.

Sandhya Arghya: on the third day, they fast without water and offer "arghya" (water and offerings) to the setting sun, standing in the river.

Usha Arghya: on the fourth morning, they offer arghya to the rising sun and then break their fast.

The offerings, placed in bamboo baskets (dala or soop), include thekua (a sweet made of wheat flour and jaggery), fruits, sugarcane and coconut. The ghats of rivers and ponds are decorated, and folk songs of Chhath are sung. It is one of the few festivals in which the setting sun is also worshipped.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Sama Chakeva is a festival of brothers and sisters in the Mithila region of Bihar.
• ✗Jitiya is a festival in which mothers fast for the well-being of their children.
• ✗Teej is a festival in which women worship Goddess Parvati.