Chhath Puja Sarees: Light Cotton in Sun Colours

Chhath is a festival of the sun, and the sarees most families choose for it follow the light: yellow, orange, red, pink and green, in fabric light enough to stand in water at sunset and again at dawn. This edit brings together the MAYIN sarees we would pick for the four days, from soft mul cotton for the vrati to a little zari or linen for family on the ghat. Every saree is 5.5 m long and 45 inches wide.

Light Cotton for Standing in Water

Wet cloth grows heavy and clings, so a light weave is kinder over long hours. Our mul cotton sarees hold little water, dry quickly and are soft against the skin, and plain and printed mul cotton can be hand washed at home in cold water. Harvest Sun, a mustard gingham, and Olive Oasis in plain green are both hand washable. Sunkissed, lemon yellow with red lotus motifs, is dry clean only, so keep it for the bank. For red, Manjari has slim zari stripes; keep zari pieces for the bank rather than the river. Light cotton turns sheer when wet, so wear a petticoat in a matching colour.

Sun Colours and What Families Wear

Yellow and orange echo the sun, red is worn by many married women, and pink and green are common too. There is no single required colour, and practice varies from family to family. Many families avoid black, blue and grey for Chhath, so if you are a guest, a sun colour is a simple courtesy. Softer choices include Pink Guava, green mul cotton with a pink border, and Mauve Melody, plain pink mul modal with a 1 m running blouse piece.

For Family on the Ghat

If you are watching from the bank rather than standing in the water, you can go a step dressier. Miss Earth is yellow handloom cotton tissue with embroidery and zari, and On Repeat is yellow handloom linen with a zari border. For the evening gathering after Sandhya Arghya, light chiffon in yellow, orange or red, such as Liora or Elara, drapes easily. Tissue, zari, linen and chiffon are dry clean only, so keep them away from the river.

No Fall and Nothing to Unpick

In many families the vrati wears cloth that has not been cut and sewn, and some prefer that no needle has touched the puja saree. Our sarees come without a fall or pico, so there is nothing to unpick before the day. Ask your family which customs they follow.

Dawn Layers and Care

November dawns can be cold on the ghat. A shawl or cardigan over a cotton saree keeps you warm without adding weight in the water. After the festival, rinse river water and silt out of mul cotton promptly, hand wash in cold water, dry in the shade and iron while slightly damp. Our guide on how to wash cotton, chiffon and linen sarees covers each fabric.

For the four days, colours, customs and six complete looks, read our Chhath Puja saree guide. You may also like our yellow sarees, pooja sarees and festive sarees.