Paush Sunday Vrat: Know The Dates, Significance, Rituals, And All About This Sacred Fast Dedicated To Sun God

The Hindu month of Paush is considered highly auspicious for the worship of Lord Surya (Sun God). Among all days, Sunday is regarded as the most sacred for Sun worship. For this reason, observing a fast on Sundays during Paush month holds special religious importance. According to the Purans, worshipping the Sun God helps remove diseases, lethargy and mental negativity. The rays of the Sun energise both the body and mind, while offering regular arghya (water) to the Sun is believed to enhance leadership qualities.

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Here’s everything you need to know about the dates, significance, rituals and the traditional story associated with the Paush Sunday fast.

Paush Sunday Dates 2025

• December 14, 2025
• December 21, 2025
• December 28, 2025

Worship Of ‘Bhag’ Form Of The Sun

According to religious scriptures, the Sun is worshipped in his Bhag form during the month of Paush. The term Bhag signifies prosperity, righteousness, fame, wealth, knowledge and detachment. A being endowed with all these qualities is considered divine.

It is believed that during Paush, Lord Bhaskar shines with eleven thousand rays, providing relief from severe winter. His blessings are said to cure diseases and grant Rajyog (royal fortune and authority).

Paush Sunday Fast Rituals

Devotees observing the Sunday fast should wake up before sunrise, bathe, and offer arghya to the Sun using a copper vessel filled with water. While offering water, sacred mantras should be chanted. Items such as incense, unbroken rice, milk, red flowers and water are offered to the Sun God. Devotees then circumambulate the spot three times while standing.

After this, one should sit on a red mat or cloth at the place of worship and perform Sun worship. Recitation of the Sunday fast story and the Aditya Hridaya Stotra is considered highly beneficial.

During the fast, consumption of salt and oil is prohibited, and devotees eat only once during the day.

Paush Sunday Fast Story

According to legend, there once lived an elderly woman in a town who observed the Sunday fast every week with full devotion. She worshipped Lord Surya and consumed only sweet food once a day during her fast. By the grace of the Sun God, all her sorrows ended, and her household remained prosperous.
As part of her ritual, she cleaned her house every Sunday and plastered the courtyard with cow dung. She would collect cow dung from her neighbour’s house. Out of jealousy, one Sunday the neighbour tied her cow indoors, leaving the elderly woman without cow dung. Despite this, the woman observed the fast but could not plaster her courtyard or offer food to the Sun God and went to bed without eating.

The next morning, she found a cow and calf tied in her courtyard. When she fed the cow, it passed dung made of gold. Unaware of its value, the woman continued her routine. The jealous neighbour noticed this and secretly took the golden dung to her own house.

One day, due to strong winds, the elderly woman tied the cow inside her house, where it again produced golden dung. Realising the divine blessing, she soon became wealthy.

Unable to bear this, the neighbour informed the king about the miraculous cow. The king summoned the cow and calf to his palace. Distressed, the elderly woman prayed to Lord Surya. That night, the Sun God appeared in the king’s dream and warned him to return the cow and calf or face destruction.

Frightened, the king returned the cow and calf the next morning and punished the jealous neighbour. He also ordered the townspeople to observe the Sunday fast to fulfil their wishes and receive the blessings of the Sun God.

[Disclaimer: The content of this article is based solely on astrological predictions, and should be taken as general guidance. Individual experiences may vary. ABPLive.com does not assert the accuracy or validity of any claims or information presented. It is strongly recommended to consult a qualified expert before considering or implementing any information or belief discussed herein.]