Chhath Puja is one of the most important and religious festivals in Hinduism. After the festival of lights and Bhai Dooj, Chhath Puja is celebrated to dedicate and offer prayers to the Sun. Unlike the major festivals celebrated in India, Chhath Puja is celebrated over a period of four days and mainly within the borders of the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh and in the Madhesh region of Nepal.
Chhath Puja is native to the Indian subcontinent and there is evidence of its existence in the ancient Vedas. The significance of the festival in Indian culture also centers around Lord Rama and Mother Sita, who worshiped the Sun after returning from their 14-year exile in the kingdom of Ayodhya.
The festival is celebrated on the sixth day of Kartik month, hence it is called Chhath Puja, where ‘Chhath’ means ‘six’. Let us look at the significance of each day of the festival:
Have a bath or eat a bath
On the first day of Chhath Puja, all the devotees take a bath in a water body, specifically in the Ganges River. Along with cleaning their body, they also clean their house and surroundings.
After bathing, prasad is cooked using ingredients like moong-chana dal, pumpkin and gourd. women are calledfastingKeep a fast on this day and eat prasad only once a day. Other members of the family will take food only after the Vrati Prasad is eaten.
Lohanda and Kharnas
The second day of the festival marks the fasting of the whole day. fasting. After sunset, fasting Prepare a special prasad called Rasao-Kheer, which is eaten to break the fast. On this day, devotees worship Chhathi Maiya. At midnight, another special dish called Thekua is prepared, which is used as prasad while worshiping Chhath Maiya.
Sandhya Arghya
Sandhya in Hindi means evening. Hence, Sandhya Arghya marks the third day of the festival and includes prayer and rest at home. Folk songs are sung on the banks of the water bodies. During sunset, devotees offer prayers and then return home to enjoy Thekua, a prasad made of jaggery and flour.
On the night of the third day, a chhatri made of five canes representing the five elements of the earth is used as an integral part of the prayer. The ritual is known as ‘Kosi’ and is mainly followed by a family which has witnessed a recent birth or marriage.
Usha Arghya
The sun is worshiped on the last day of Chhath Puja, and all religious rituals are performed during the early morning hours of the day. Devotees sit on the banks of the water till the sun rises.
As the day breaks, the morning ‘Arghya’ is offered in water. NS fasting Break the fast by eating prasad and taking blessings of the elders of the family.
This time Chhath Puja will be celebrated on 10th November.
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