The prasad of Chhath Puja is made of simple, seasonal, vegetarian offerings that are placed in bamboo baskets and offered to the Sun God. The best known is thekua, a pressed sweet of whole wheat flour, jaggery and ghee. Alongside it, families offer fresh fruit such as bananas, coconuts and sugarcane and, in many homes, sweets such as kheer and rice laddoos. What is offered varies from family to family, but thekua is the one most closely tied to the festival.
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A short list of Chhath prasad
Every family follows its own tradition, so no list is exactly right for every home. The offerings below are the ones that most often appear in the bamboo baskets (soop and daura) carried to the water.
- Thekua, the pressed and fried sweet of wheat flour and jaggery.
- Fresh seasonal fruit: bananas, coconuts, oranges and other citrus.
- Sugarcane, usually a few whole stalks.
- Sweets made at home, such as rice laddoos and kheer made with jaggery.
Thekua, the heart of the offering
Of everything that goes into the basket, thekua is the one people mean when they say Chhath prasad. It is a sacred offering to the Sun God, and families across Bihar and Jharkhand have made it for generations. The tradition is described as more than five hundred years old.
The dough is whole wheat flour, jaggery and desi ghee, kneaded by hand and shaped in carved wooden moulds called sancha. The mould leaves the pattern that makes every thekua recognisable. The pieces are then fried slowly until they are crisp and golden. Ours is made exactly this way, with no refined sugar and no preservatives.
Fruit and sugarcane
Fruit is offered whole and fresh, in whatever is in season at the time of the festival. Bananas, coconuts and citrus fruits are the common ones, and sugarcane is often tied upright beside the baskets. Fruit is offered as it is, without being cut or cooked, so it is simply washed and arranged with care.
Fruit is best bought fresh close to the puja, so most families buy it locally. Thekua is different: it takes time to make well and it keeps for weeks, so it is the part of the prasad that can be made or ordered ahead.
Sweets made at home
Many homes also prepare a rice sweet. Rice laddoos and kheer sweetened with jaggery are two that often appear, and they are usually made at home in the days before the puja, by the family, so that they can be offered fresh.
We do not make these. We make thekua, and we make it in the way a family would, so that it can stand beside what you cook yourself.
Keeping the prasad simple and clean
Chhath food is kept simple and vegetarian, and it is prepared with great attention to cleanliness. That is why many families prefer to make everything themselves, and why those who cannot do so look for someone who makes thekua with the same care.
If your family has particular requirements for how the prasad is prepared or packed, tell us on WhatsApp before you order, and we will tell you honestly what we can and cannot do.
How much prasad to prepare
Think about how many people will share the prasad afterwards, and how many pieces each person will want. Thekua is sold in 250gm and 500gm packs, so a household can order a few packs and a larger gathering can order several.
Also think about how long the prasad has to keep. Desi ghee thekua stays fresh for 15–20 days and refined oil thekua stays fresh for 45–60 days when kept in an airtight container at room temperature, so count back from the day of the puja and make sure the thekua is still within those days when it is offered.
A note on family traditions
Chhath is kept in slightly different ways in different families and places, and the elders of a family usually know best what their own tradition asks for. If your family's list differs from the one above, follow your family's. We write this guide to help people plan their puja, not to say what is right for any one home.
What to tell us when you order thekua
When you message us on WhatsApp, tell us the type of thekua (desi ghee or refined oil), the pack size (250gm or 500gm), how many packs you need, your pincode and the date of the puja. We confirm the price and the delivery timing for your pincode.
If anyone sharing the prasad has allergies, tell us as well. Desi ghee thekua contains milk and wheat, and refined oil thekua contains wheat.
If you cannot make thekua yourself
Some people live far from home at Chhath, and some have no time to make thekua. For them we deliver across India, and we confirm the last date to order and the delivery timing on WhatsApp. Read about ordering on our page for Chhath prasad thekua, and order early so that there is time to confirm the last date.
After the puja: sharing the prasad
Prasad is not eaten alone. After the offering it is shared with the family, the neighbours and the friends who come to receive it, which is one more reason to order more than you think you need.
If you want thekua for your puja, you can order thekua for Chhath Puja in desi ghee or refined oil.
This post is from the kitchen at BihariPakwan Foods. Read more about us and how we cook.