The source details Sendha Namak in the Nahay Khay meal and notes the subsequent omission of salt from its preparation instructions. It situates sweet prasad within a Sattvic context instead of offering a nutritional comparison.
The Sattvic Diet: Why Common Salt is Prohibited
Throughout the Chhath Puja fasting period, the use of regular iodized table salt is strictly forbidden in preparing the Vrati's meals.
The Role of Sendha Namak (Rock Salt)
On the first day (Nahay Khay), the Vrati consumes a plain dish called Kaddu Bhaat. This meal is made using Sendha Namak (Rock Salt) Rather than sea salt or commercially produced table salt, Sendha Namak is regarded in Ayurveda as the purest salt, remaining unprocessed and devoid of chemical refinement.
Following the Nahay Khay meal, all salt is completely removed. The Prasad (such as Thekua and Rasiya) is sweet, prepared solely with pure jaggery, wheat, and rice, to preserve the cooling, non-stimulating (Sattvic) quality needed to sustain the 36-hour fast.