Chhath Puja 2025 was observed from October 25 to October 28 as a four-day Hindu festival dedicated to Sun God Surya and Chhathi Maiya. Its core cultural geography is linked with Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Nepal. The main observances include holy bathing, fasting, standing in water, offering prasad, and giving arghya to the setting and rising sun.
For RAS and UPSC-style preparation, the topic is useful because current affairs questions often connect a recent date-based update with static GK on Indian festivals, regional culture, and ritual vocabulary. The important factual cluster is compact: start date, duration, deity association, major regions, and the sequence of sun offerings. Since the 2025 observance began on October 25 and ran for four days, candidates should not study the date separately from the nature of the festival.
The exam relevance also lies in how the festival connects culture with geography. Chhath is primarily associated with Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Nepal, so it may appear in questions on regional festivals of eastern and northern India. The ritual of arghya is another likely prelims fact: offerings are made to both the setting sun and the rising sun. The practice of bathing, fasting, and standing in water also helps distinguish Chhath from other Indian festivals in objective questions.
As a current affairs note, remember three anchors: October 25-28, 2025; dedication to Surya and Chhathi Maiya; and the rituals of bathing, fasting, prasad, and arghya. These facts can support direct factual questions, match-the-following items, or statement-based MCQs.