Chhath is a major Hindu festival celebrated in Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Chhath is a major Hindu festival celebrated in Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Almost all civilizations have worshipped the ‘God Sun’, but it has a unique form in Bihar Chhath Puja is the only occasion where the setting sun is worshipped along with the rising sun.
According to the Hindu calendar, Chhath Puja is celebrated on the sixth day of Kartik month. Chhath Puja, also known as Surya Shashti, is a bathing festival followed by a four-day period of abstinence and ritual purity.
Chhath Puja is a four-day long strict and spiritual observance. The first day of the Chhath Puja includes taking a dip in the holy river/any water body. People also take the water of Ganges to their homes to perform special offerings and rituals. Houses are thoroughly cleaned on this day. The second day of Chhath, also known as Kharna, involves devotees observing a day long fast, which is broken in the late evening after performing the worship of Mother Earth. The offerings to the God include rice pudding (kheer) and fruits, which is distributed among family members and friends. The third day of Chhath goes in the preparation of the prasad (offerings) for the evening offerings, also known as Sanjhiya Arghya.
In the evening, large numbers of devotees gather on the banks of rivers and make offerings (Arghya) to the setting sun. The folk songs are played displaying the culture and history of Bihar. The night of the third day witnesses a colorful event known as Kosi. A canopy is made from sugarcane sticks and lighted earthen lamps are placed inside the canopy along with baskets filled with prasad. On the fourth and final day of Chhath, family members and friends go to the banks of rivers before sunrise and making offerings (Arghya) to the rising sun. After this ritual, devotees break their fast and distribute Prasad to neighbors and relatives.
About Chhath Puja
Meaning: The word “chhath” means sixth in Nepali, Maithili, and Bhojpuri languages. This festival is celebrated on the 6th day of the month of Kartikeya of the Hindu Luni-Solar Bikram Sambat calendar and that’s why the name is Chhath Puja. This word is a Prakrit descent from the Sanskrit word “Sashthi” and this festival is the longest and the most important festival of Hindus after the Navratri. It lasts for 4 days.
History: Some say that Chhath Puja is the oldest festival that may even precede the Ancient Vedas as the Rigveda contains hymns of worshipping the Sun and some similar rituals as followed in this festival. These rituals also have a mention in the Mahabharata where Draupadi is portrayed performing similar rituals. On the advice of astute Dhaumya, the rituals of Chhath were followed by the Pandavas and Draupadi. This worshipping of the Sun solved many problems of Draupadi and later helped the Pandavas to regain their kingdom. The scientific or yogic history of this festival dates back to the Vedic times when the scholars or rishis of yore used this technique to remain without food as they used to absorb energy from the rays of the sun. This was known as Chhath Method. Some ancient also suggest that Lord Rama and Sita kept fast and offered puja to the sun in the Kartika month during the Shukla Paksha during their coronation after returning from the exile.
Current Time: In the present time, Chhath is celebrated mostly in India and Nepal. The states of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh in India and the Madhesh region of Nepal generally celebrate this festival with great enthusiasm. This festival is dedicated to the Sun and his younger wife Usha as an acknowledgment for the life on earth. So, there is no idol worship at all! Some Muslim people also celebrate Chhath. As there is no idol worship so there is no use of plastic, color, metals, etc. in constructing an idol & later immersing those idols on nearby water bodies that leads to pollution. That’s why this festival is regarded as the most eco-friendly Hindu festival by the environmentalists.
