Usha and Pratyusha: Twin goddesses behind Chhath Puja’s Arghya offerings
Usha and Pratyusha illuminate Chhath Puja 2025 from dawn to dusk, turning rooftop prayers and riverbank offerings into a vibrant social spectacle. Their twin symbolism blends ancient devotion with modern storytelling, inviting readers to participate through quick prayers, lively visuals, and shareable moments that travel far beyond tradition.
New Delhi: Chhath Puja has started on October 26, 2025. The festival glows along rooftops and riverbanks as devotees honour the Sun God. Usha and Pratyusha become the talking points as twin goddesses guiding dawn and dusk rituals. They inspire devotion, song, and colour. Read on to meet these symbolic sisters and their modern, market-ready meanings.
Two sisters, one sunrise, one sunset. Usha opens the day with fresh hope. Pratyusha closes it with gratitude. Together they frame Chhath Puja’s rhythm. People bow, sing, and pour offerings of water, fruit, and seasonal sweets. The vibe? Warm, hopeful, and wonderfully communal.
Who are Usha and Pratyusha of Chhath Puja?
Usha and Pratyush: the two divine goddesses personify light at different times. Usha stands for the first glow of morning. Pratyusha embodies the evening blaze. In practice, families rise before dawn for Arghya offerings. They chant, recite, and share hot prasad. Then they return at dusk for the last offerings, completing the day.
Mythology suggests that both goddesses are associated with the solar deity Surya and are honoured alongside him during Chhath Puja. Their duality reflects the cycle of day and night, sunrise and sunset — the very rhythm that Chhath Puja embraces.
Why do sunrise and sunset matter so much during Chhath Puja 2025?
Sunrise and sunset hold deep spiritual importance during Chhath Puja 2025, symbolising the eternal balance between beginnings and endings. The festival’s two central rituals — Sandhya Arghya (evening offering) and Usha Arghya (morning offering) — are dedicated to the twin goddesses Pratyusha and Usha, who embody these sacred transitions. When devotees offer arghya to the setting sun, they honour Pratyusha, the goddess of dusk, thanking her for guiding them through the day and symbolising gratitude, completion, and closure.
The following dawn, when the first rays of light touch the water, devotees welcome Usha, the goddess of dawn, who represents new beginnings, hope, and renewal. These two moments — the fading light of evening and the first glow of morning — capture the very essence of life’s rhythm: every ending leads to a fresh start. By worshipping both Usha and Pratyusha, Chhath devotees celebrate harmony in duality, acknowledging that light and darkness, day and night, beginnings and ends, coexist beautifully in the divine order of the universe.
As Chhath Puja bathed in golden light, remember this: the goddess Usha rises with the promise of a new day, and Pratyusha bows with the wisdom of completion. In honouring both, you honour the cycle of nature, the Sun and the deeper rhythms of life. May your offerings be sincere, your reflections deep, and your connections meaningful in this festival of light.