Chhath Puja is a very old festival in Hindu religion. It is a Vedic festival. It is celebrated to honour the Sun for giving life on Earth. This festival is celebrated in India and Nepal.
Chhath Puja is mentioned in Ramayana and Mahabharata. In this, people worship Surya (Sun god) for giving light and life to us. Chhati Maiya (Shashthi) is worshipped for giving us crops and children. The other deities like Usha and Pratyusha are also worshipped. They are the goddess of morning and evening.
This festival is very important in the states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand. There is no icon or statue which is worshipped in this festival. It is a festival which is mainly celebrated by women. They go to a holy river and offer holy water to sun. This Puja is passed from generation to generation by anyone who performs it.
After the rituals are performed, people eat sweets like kheer and sweet fruits like sugarcane and banana. The food which is eaten on this day should not have salt or spices in it. This festival is celebrated to bring purity in oneself.
Chhath Puja is a festival to honour and to offer gratitude to nature. People follow the rituals with full faith and devotion. They keep fast on this day to compensate for harming our mother Nature.