Chhath Puja Travel Guide: Sacred Ghats & Bus Routes 2025

The sun hasn’t risen yet, but the Ganges is already alive with devotion. Thousands stand waist-deep in sacred waters, bamboo baskets filled with offerings raised toward the horizon. This is your Chhath Puja Travel Guide, and if you’ve only seen it on television, you’re missing something extraordinary.

While most festivals hide indoors with elaborate decorations, Chhath Puja unfolds entirely in nature’s embrace. Rivers become temples. Riverbanks transform into prayer halls. The Sun God receives offerings directly without middlemen, just pure, unwavering faith. This four-day festival (Sat, 25 Oct, 2025 – Tue, 28 Oct, 2025) isn’t about spectacle. It’s about gratitude so profound that devotees fast for 36 hours without a drop of water.

And this year, you don’t have to watch from afar. You can be there.

Why Chhath Puja Demands Your Presence

Here’s what travel guides won’t tell you: Chhath Puja isn’t a tourist attraction. You don’t visit it like a monument. You experience it in your bones when hundreds of voices sing the same Chhath geet in unison. You understand it when you see a grandmother breaking her 36-hour fast with just a sip of water and prasad, her face radiating peace, not exhaustion.

The real magic happens during two specific moments. The Sandhya Arghya (evening offerings to the setting sun) and the Usha Arghya (morning offerings to the rising sun). These aren’t just rituals. They’re visual spectacles that photographers dream about and spiritual seekers travel thousands of kilometers to witness.

Unlike festivals that have become commercial, Chhath Puja remains stubbornly authentic. No flashy pandals. No sponsored events. No entry tickets. Just people, water, and the sun. The purity of this simplicity is precisely what makes it extraordinary.

Where Chhath Puja Comes Alive

Patna: The Epicenter of Devotion

Bihar isn’t just celebrating Chhath Puja. Bihar IS Chhath Puja. Patna transforms completely during these four days. The ghats along the Ganges (Gandhi Ghat, Collectorate Ghat, Kangan Ghat, Digha Ghat) become the heart of celebrations.

What makes Patna special is the sheer scale. Hundreds of thousands of people follow the same ritual simultaneously. When the sun sets on Sandhya Arghya evening, and every devotee raises their basket toward the horizon, the visual impact is staggering. Photographers call it the “sea of devotion.”

Getting to Patna has become significantly easier with modern bus services. The Patna to Delhi bus route operates multiple services daily, covering approximately 992 kilometers. The overnight journey means you board in the evening, sleep comfortably, and wake up ready to witness history.

Varanasi: Where Spirituality Intensifies

If Patna is Chhath Puja’s heart, Varanasi is its soul. The city that already breathes spirituality adds another layer of devotion during these four days. The ghats hosting evening Ganga Aarti now also become venues for Chhath rituals.

Adalat Ghat and Dashashwamedh Ghat see particularly beautiful celebrations. What’s unique about Varanasi is the blend. Traditional Bihari devotion meets Kashi’s ancient spiritual energy, creating something even more powerful.

The Delhi to Varanasi bus route covers around 807 kilometers in approximately 12-13 hours. Multiple AC sleeper buses run on this route daily, making it one of the most convenient ways to reach the spiritual capital during festival season. The Varanasi to Delhi route ensures equally comfortable return journeys.

Understanding the Four-Day Journey

Chhath Puja isn’t a single-day affair. It’s a carefully structured spiritual journey where each day builds upon the previous one’s significance.

Day 1: Nahay Khay begins with devotees taking a holy dip in rivers, preferably the Ganges. They bring home sacred water for the entire festival. The house gets thoroughly cleaned. The first meal is simple, without onions, garlic, or salt. The simplicity is intentional, about purifying not just the body but also the mind.

Day 2: Kharna is when the real test starts. Devotees observe a day-long fast, breaking it only after sunset with kheer, roti, and fruits. After this meal, they begin a 36-hour fast with no food or water. This isn’t about physical endurance. It’s about demonstrating absolute devotion.

Day 3: Sandhya Arghya is the day everyone waits for. Devotees prepare offerings (thekua, fruits, sugarcane, coconuts) arranged beautifully in bamboo baskets. Standing in water facing the setting sun, they offer their arghya. The golden sun descending, thousands in the water making offerings simultaneously, Chhath songs filling the air. This moment alone justifies every kilometer traveled.

Day 4: Usha Arghya brings devotees back before sunrise. Still fasting, still standing in water, they wait for the sun to rise. The morning arghya completes the cycle. After this, the 36-hour fast breaks. The joy on faces, the sense of accomplishment mixed with spiritual fulfillment, is impossible to capture in words.

Getting There: The Smart Way

Let’s address reality: traveling to Bihar during Chhath Puja isn’t like booking a regular trip. Flight prices skyrocket absurdly. Train tickets get booked weeks in advance with waiting lists running into thousands.

This is where bus travel becomes not just economical but actually the most sensible option.

Why Choose Bus Travel for Chhath Puja

Figure 1: Travel Options Comparison

Modern bus services have evolved dramatically. These aren’t cramped, uncomfortable buses from a decade ago. We’re talking proper sleeping berths, charging points, clean washrooms, and professional drivers who know routes intimately.

The Delhi bus booking system offers multiple boarding points across the city, including convenient locations with excellent metro connectivity. Whether you’re in South Delhi, East Delhi, or Gurgaon, there’s likely a pickup point near you.

For Patna, despite the longer distance, overnight journeys work perfectly. Most buses depart between 2-7 PM from Delhi, allowing you to sleep through the journey and arrive fresh.

Essential Travel Tips for First-Timers

Respect the Rituals

Chhath Puja isn’t a performance. It’s deeply personal for devotees who’ve been fasting for 36 hours. Photography is generally welcomed, but flash photography during arghya isn’t appropriate. Getting too close to devotees performing rituals shows disrespect. Think of yourself as a respectful observer, not a tourist clicking selfies.

Timing Matters

The evening arghya typically happens around sunset (5-6 PM), and morning arghya happens before sunrise (5-6 AM). Reaching ghats at least an hour before these times is advisable. Crowds build up, and finding a good vantage point takes time.

Accommodation Strategy

Hotels, guesthouses, even hostels in Patna and Varanasi get booked weeks in advance during Chhath Puja. The earlier you book, the better your options and rates. Don’t wait until the last minute.

What to Pack

Essential Items Checklist:

• Valid ID proof (mandatory for bus travel)
• Phone charger and power bank
• Light snacks and bottled water
• Comfortable, modest clothing
• Light woolens (early November can be cool at dawn)
• Camera (for capturing moments respectfully)
• Hand sanitizer and wet wipes
• Any personal medications

The Food You Must Try

Chhath Puja has its own culinary tradition. Experiencing it completes your festival journey.

1. Thekua is the signature sweet. Made with wheat flour, jaggery, and ghee, it has a unique taste and texture. Every family claims their version is authentic. Try multiple versions, each tastes subtly different.
2. Kadhi Bhat, simple rice and yogurt curry, gets prepared with such care and specific ingredients during Chhath that it becomes special. The version served is notably lighter and cleaner than regular kadhi.
3. Fresh Sugarcane Juice from sugarcane used in Chhath offerings has incredible freshness. Vendors at ghats sell it, and it’s as authentic as it gets.
4. Chana Sattu, roasted gram flour mixed into a cooling drink, is particularly popular during Chhath Puja. It’s nutritious, refreshing, and very local to Bihar.

Beyond the Festival: Extended Exploration

If you’re traveling to Bihar or Varanasi for Chhath Puja, explore what else these regions offer.

Patna houses incredible historical sites like the Patna Museum with its remarkable collection, the Golghar granary offering panoramic city views, and historic Gandhi Maidan. Nearby Nalanda, with its ancient university ruins, represents one of the world’s first residential universities.

Bodh Gaya, where Buddha attained enlightenment, is barely 100 kilometers from Patna. The Mahabodhi Temple complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, deserves at least a full day.

Varanasi itself needs no introduction. Beyond Chhath Puja, the city offers the evening Ganga Aarti, the ancient Kashi Vishwanath Temple, archaeological wonders of Sarnath, and simply walking through lanes that have witnessed continuous civilization for over 3,000 years.

Making the Booking: Simpler Than You Think

Online bus booking takes literally five minutes. Select your origin and destination, choose your travel date, browse available buses based on departure time and amenities, select your preferred seats, and pay. Your ticket arrives on your phone instantly.

For popular routes during festival season, booking 2-3 weeks in advance is advisable. The best seats (window in sleeper buses) get picked quickly. Most platforms offer flexible cancellation policies, providing peace of mind if plans change.

What You’re Really Deciding

Choosing to attend Chhath Puja isn’t just marking another festival off your bucket list. It’s witnessing faith that doesn’t seek validation. It’s experiencing community that doesn’t need organization. It’s seeing people so content in their devotion that 36 hours without food and water become offerings, not hardships.

The question isn’t whether Chhath Puja is worth experiencing. It emphatically is. The question is whether you’re willing to step out of your comfort zone, travel to places you might not have considered, stand among crowds at ghats before sunrise, and let yourself be moved by something ancient and pure.

The buses are running. The routes are established. The ghats are being prepared. The devotees are preparing for their fasts. Everything is ready.

The only question left: Are you?