As Chhath Puja approaches, kitchens across Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and parts of Nepal begin preparing for one of the festival’s most recognisable offerings: the thekua. Golden-brown, crisp on the outside and slightly soft on the inside, this traditional sweet is made with whole-wheat flour, jaggery, and ghee. Often flavoured with fennel seeds, cardamom and grated coconut, they are shaped using wooden moulds before being deep-fried. While thekua is enjoyed as a snack throughout the year, it holds a particularly important place during Chhath Puja, when it is prepared as prasad and offered to the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya.
Chhath Puja in 2026 will be observed from November 13 to 16. Dedicated to Surya Dev, the Sun God, and Chhathi Maiya, the festival is a celebration of gratitude, faith and the natural forces that sustain life. Its rituals revolve around fasting, cleanliness, seasonal produce and offerings made to both the setting and rising sun. Among the other offerings, thekua occupies a special place. It is not simply a festive sweet, but a symbol of devotion, familial bonds, and a culinary tradition passed down through generations.
Why Is Thekua Important During Chhath Puja?
Thekua is considered one of the principal prasad offerings during Chhath Puja. It is prepared in homes in the days leading up to the main rituals and placed in bamboo baskets, known as soop or dala, alongside seasonal fruits, coconuts and sugarcane. These offerings are taken to riverbanks, ponds and other water bodies, where devotees perform the evening and morning arghya to the Sun.
The preparation of thekua follows the festival’s emphasis on purity and ritual discipline. Traditionally, it is made in a clean kitchen, often using newly purchased or specially designated utensils. The ingredients are simple and locally available: wheat flour represents the agricultural harvest, jaggery brings natural sweetness, and ghee lends richness. Fennel, coconut and cardamom may be added depending on family and regional preferences.
Its importance also lies in its association with the community. Preparing thekua is often a collective household activity, with family members coming together to knead the dough, shape the sweets and fry them in batches. Recipes and techniques are passed down from mothers and grandmothers, with each household having its own proportions, preferred moulds and methods. For many families, the smell of freshly fried thekua is one of the first signs that Chhath celebrations have begun.
The History Of Thekua
While thekua is closely associated with Chhath Puja today, its history as a traditional Indian sweet is much older. Some food historians draw parallels between thekua and apupa, a type of cake mentioned in ancient Vedic literature, including the Rig Veda. Apupa was prepared using grains such as barley or rice, cooked with ghee and sometimes sweetened with honey.
Thekua, as it is known in Bihar and neighbouring regions, developed as a household preparation using ingredients readily available in the local agricultural landscape. Wheat flour, jaggery and ghee formed its basic ingredients, making it an accessible sweet that could be prepared in large quantities and stored for several days. It is also known by regional names such as khajuria and kajuria. Its characteristic patterns come from wooden moulds, traditionally called saancha, against which the dough is pressed before frying. The moulds often feature floral, geometric and other decorative designs, giving each batch its distinctive appearance. Its name also comes from the Hindi and regional verb thokna, which means “to hammer” or “to press firmly”.
Its association with Chhath Puja grew alongside the festival’s traditions of offering simple, locally sourced food to the Sun God. Thekua’s ingredients, preparation and ability to remain fresh for several days made it particularly suited to the occasion. Unlike many sweets that require refrigeration or delicate handling, it can be prepared in advance of the main rituals, carried to the ghats, and distributed among large groups of devotees.
What Does Thekua Symbolise For Devotees?
For people observing Chhath, thekua represents much more than a festive delicacy. It is an expression of gratitude towards nature and the agricultural cycle. The wheat, jaggery and ghee used to prepare it connect the offering to the land, the harvest and the resources that sustain everyday life.
Chhath itself is distinctive because devotees worship both the setting and rising sun. The rituals are observed over four days, beginning with Nahay Khay, followed by Kharna, Sandhya Arghya and Usha Arghya. On the third day, devotees carry bamboo baskets filled with thekua, fruits and other offerings to water bodies to pray to the setting sun. The following morning, they return before sunrise to offer prayers to the rising sun. Thekua is distributed as prasad after the rituals, allowing family members, neighbours and other devotees to share in the blessings.
The festival also holds immense cultural significance for people from Bihar and the Purvanchal region, including those who have moved to other parts of India and overseas. For many migrant families, Chhath is an occasion to reconnect with their roots, return to their hometowns and participate in traditions they grew up watching their parents and grandparents observe. Even in cities such as Delhi and Mumbai, where communities organise celebrations around lakes, rivers and specially constructed ghats, the preparation of thekua remains an important way of keeping these traditions alive.
There is also a strong sense of collective participation associated with the festival. While the person observing the fast, known as the parvaitin, undertakes the demanding rituals, relatives, neighbours and community members contribute to the preparations. From cleaning the ghats and arranging bamboo baskets to preparing prasad and singing traditional folk songs, Chhath brings people together across generations and communities. Unlike many elaborate religious ceremonies, it does not require a priest; devotees offer prayers directly to the Sun God.
Ultimately, thekua’s importance lies in how it brings together food, faith and memory. A simple preparation of flour, jaggery and ghee has become one of the most enduring symbols of Chhath Puja. Its recipe may vary slightly from one household to another, but the sentiment behind making and sharing it remains remarkably consistent. For generations of devotees, the festival would feel incomplete without the familiar sight of thekua arranged in bamboo baskets, ready to be offered to the Sun. It is a reminder that sometimes the most meaningful culinary traditions are not defined by elaborate ingredients or techniques, but by the memories, rituals and people they bring together.
Read more: Make Thekua: One Of The Most Loved Delicacies Prepared During Chhath Puja
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