The home-puja guide outlines a temporary water arrangement, a spot receiving morning and evening sunlight, and a sugarcane canopy adorned with flowers and diyas. A distinct section addresses cooking setups. The included safety note clarifies that this cultural description does not imply approval for a balcony pool or cooking installation.
Celebrating Chhath Puja Without a River
Indeed, Chhath Puja can definitely be celebrated at home. Due to growing urbanization and global migration, it has become more common to observe the festival on balconies, terraces, or in backyards.
Setting Up Your Home Ghat
- The Water Body: Utilize a clean, new inflatable pool, a sizable plastic container, or create a temporary pit using bricks and tarpaulin in your yard. Fill it with fresh tap water combined with Gangajal.
- Directional Alignment: Position the tub where it gets direct sunlight at both sunrise (East) and sunset (West).
- The Mandap: Bind four sugarcane stalks together above the tub to form a traditional canopy. Adorn the space with marigold flowers and clay diyas.
Cooking at Home
Build a small temporary mud stove (chulha) on a balcony or in a clean, open area to prepare Thekua and Rasiya using dry mango wood. If local fire rules do not allow this, buy a new portable gas stove solely for Chhath cooking.