Chhath

Chhath Puja
People gathered at a pond inJanakpur,Nepalto worshipSurya,the sun god and his sisterChhathi Maiya
Also called	Chhaith Chhath Parva Chhath Puja Dala Chhath Dala Puja Surya Shashthi
Observed by	Bhojpuri,MagahiandMaithilethnolinguistic groups in India and Nepal
Type	Cultural, Historical, Religious
Significance	To venerateSurya,the sun god and his sisterChhathi Maiya
Date	Kartik Shukla Shashthi
2023 date	25 March to 28 March (Chaiti) 17 Nov to 20 Nov (Katiki)
2024 date	Thursday 7, November
Frequency	Annual

Chhathis an ancientHindufestival, native to theIndian subcontinentand of heritage to the Indo-Nepalese.It is celebrated across allNorthern Indian regions.In particular, to theIndian statesofBihar,Jharkhand,andUttar Pradesh;and theNepalese Autonomous provincesofKoshi,Lumbini,andMadhesh.In the major northern urban centres in India, hundreds of thousands of people celebrate it in cities includingDelhi,MumbaiandKathmandu Valley.During ChhathPuja,prayers are dedicated to thesolar deity,Surya:to show gratitude for bestowing the bounties of life on Earth and to request that certain wishes be granted.

Chhathi Maiya, the sixth form ofPrakritiandSurya'ssister, is worshipped during the festival. It is celebrated six days afterDeepavali,orTihar,on the sixth day of the lunar month of Kartika (October or November) in the Hindu calendar (Vikram Samvat), and hence why it is called Surya Shashti Vrata.The rituals are observed over three nights and four days.They include holy bathing,fasting,and abstaining from drinking water (as avrata), standing in water, and offeringprasada(prayer offerings) andarghyato the rising and setting of the Sun.Some devotees also perform aprostrationmarch as they head towards the riverbanks.All devotees prepare similarprasada(religious food) and offerings.

Chhath Puja atInaruwa,Sunsari District,Koshi Province

Chhath Puja at Chaudhary Pokhair inBasuki Biharitown of Bihar

Environmentalistshave claimed that the festival of Chhath is one of the most eco-friendly religious festivals in the world.Although the festival is observed most widely inNepaland some Indian states, it is also prevalent in areas where thediasporaand migration from those areas have a presence.

Significance

Chhath pujais dedicated to the Sun GodSurya,as it is thought that the sun is visible to every being and is the basis of life of all creatures on Earth.Along with the Sun God, Chhathi Maiya is also worshipped on this day. According toVedic astrology,Chhathi Maiya (or Chhathi Mata) grants children long life and good health by shielding them from illnesses and diseases.

Description

Chhath celebration atRani Pokhari,a 17th-century pond inKathmandu(2015)

Chhath Puja celebration atAzimganj

Chhath Puja is afolk festivalthat lasts four days. It starts with Kartik Shukla Chaturthi and ends with Kartik Shukla Saptami. Chhath is celebrated twice in a year.

• Chaiti Chhath - It is observed in theChaitramonth ofVikram Samvat.
• Kartik Chhath - It is celebrated at a very large scale in theKartikamonth ofVikram Samvat.

Nahaay Khaay (Day 1)

This is the first day of Chhath Puja. TheParvaitin(transl. devotees,from Sanskritparva,meaning "occasion" or "festival" ) must take a holy bath, after which the entire house, its surroundings, and pathways to theGhatare thoroughly cleaned. TheParvaitinusually cooksSattvikLaukaBhaat(Bottle Gourd and Bengal Gram Lentil preparation with Arva Rice Bhaat). This preparation is served to the deity in the afternoon as Bhog. This initiates the Parv and is the last meal of theParvaitinduring Chhath Puja. The food is then eaten to protect the mind from thoughts of vengeance.

Rasiaav-Roti/Kharna/Lohanda (Day 2)

Kharna, also known as Rasiaav-Roti or Lohanda, is the second day of Chhath Puja.On this day, the devotees do not drink even a single drop of water as offer to worship. In the evening, they eatgur ke kheer(Kheermade up of jaggery), called Rasiaav, together withRoti.

Sandhya arghya (Day 3)

Where there is no river or pond, an indoor setup such as a tank or fountain are used. In certain places there are restrictions on using beaches for puja.

This day is spent preparing the prasada (offerings) at home, often consisting of abamboobasket decorated with fruits,Thekuaand riceladdus.On the eve of this day, the entire household accompany the devotee to a riverbank, pond, or other large body of water to make the Arghya offerings to the setting sun. The occasion can in many ways resemble a carnival. Besides the devotees and their friends and family, numerous participants and onlookers are all willing to help and receive the blessings of the worshipper.

At the time ofarghya,Gangajalwater is offered to Surya and the Chhathi Maiya is worshipped with theprasada.After the worship of Sun God, Chhath songs are sung in the night and theVrat kathais read.

After returning home the devotees perform the ritual ofkosi bharaitogether with the other family members. They take 5 to 7 sugarcanes and tie them together to form a mandap and beneath the shade of that mandap, 12 to 24Diya lampsare burnt and thekua and other seasonal fruits are offered. The same ritual is repeated the next morning between 3 am and 4 am, and afterward the devotees offerarghyaor other offerings to the rising sun.

Usha arghya (Day 4)

On the last day of Chhath Puja, at dawn, worshippers travel to the riverbank to offer anarghyato the rising sun. After making this holy offering, parents pray to Chhatti Maiya for their child's protection as well as the happiness and peace of their whole family. After worship, followers participate in the Paran or Parana rite, breaking their fast with a small amount ofprasadaand water. This rite emphasises the connection between family well-being anddivine favours,serving as a symbol of thanksgiving andspiritualclosure.

Rituals and traditions

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  Chhath Celebration atGangi RiverinArrah
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  Chhath Puja Worship Material
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  A woman praying during Chhath
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  Women waiting with Prasada for offerings
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  View of decorated Ghadiarwa pond on the occasion of Chhath festival,Birgunj,Nepal

The main worshippers, calledparvaitin(from Sanskritparv,meaning "occasion" or "festival" ), are usually women. However, men also observe this festival as Chhath is not a gender-specific festival.Theparvaitinpray for the well-being of their family, and for the prosperity of their children.

In some communities, once a family member starts performing Chhath Puja, they are duty-bound to perform it every year and to pass it on to the following generations. The festival is skipped only if there is a death in the family that year. If the person stops performing the ritual on any particular year, it stops permanently and one cannot resume it. In other communities, this is not mandatory. The prasada offerings includeThekua,Khajuria, Tikri, Kasar (and fruits (mainly sugar canes, sweet lime, coconut, banana and many seasonal fruits) offered in small bamboo baskets.The food is strictly vegetarian and is cooked without salt, onions or garlic. Emphasis is on maintaining the purity of the food.

History and associated legends

Deo Surya MandirinDeo,Aurangabad, Bihar,India

The Chhathi Maiya is worshipped on the Chhath festival, which is also mentioned in theBrahma Vaivarta Purana.It is said that the Chhath Puja was started in the holy city ofVaranasibyGahadavala dynasty.According to theKashi Khanda,after Banaras the trend of Chhath Puja started increasing in the country.

It is also believed that, there was an ashram of the rishi Kashyapa and Aditi in theBuxarregion. Mata Aditi gave birth toSuryaas a son on the sixth day of Kartika. Surya is also called Aditya because he is the son of Aditi. For this reason, Chhath Puja is celebrated as the birth anniversary of Surya and the month of Kartika is considered a holy month throughout the year.

InMungerregion, the festival is known for its association withSitaManpatthar (Sita Charan;lit.Sita's footsteps). Sitacharan temple, situated on a boulder in the middle of theGangesin Munger, is the main center of public faith regarding Chhath festival. It is believed that goddess Sita performed Chhath festival in Munger. That is why Chhath Mahaparva is celebrated with great pomp inMunger.

InChamparanregion, it is a mythological belief that after leavingAyodhya,Sitastayed inValmiki Ashramlocated on the India-Nepal border. During that time she also celebrated Chhath Mahaparva in Valmiki Nagar. Even today, people celebrate Chhath festival with great pomp at Luv-Kush Ghat on the banks ofGandaki riverin Valmiki Nagar.

According to some other legend, King Priyavrata, son of firstManu Svayambhu,was very sad because he had no children. Kashyapa asked him to do ayajna.According to the sage's orders, he performed a yajna for a son. After this, Queen Malini gave birth to a son, but unfortunately the baby was born dead. The king and his family were very sad because of this. Then Mata Shashthi revealed herself in the sky. When the king prayed to her, she spoke, saying: "I am Chhathi Maiya the sixth form of Parvati. I protect all the children of the world and give the blessings of children to all childless parents." After this, the goddess blessed the lifeless child with her hands, so that he came to life. The king was very thankful for the grace of the Goddess and he worshipped the goddess Shashthi Devi. It is believed that after this puja, this festival became a worldwide celebration.

Chhath has been mentioned in both the major Indian epics. InRamayana,when Rama and Sita returnedAyodhya,people celebratedDeepavali,and on its sixth dayRamarajya(lit.Kingdom of Rama) was established. On this dayRamaandSitakept fast and Surya Shashthi/Chhath Puja was performed by Sita. Hence, she was blessed withLavaandKushaas their sons.

While in theMahabharata,Chhath Puja was performed byKuntiafter they escaped fromLakshagriha.It is also believed thatKarna,the son of Surya and Kunti, was conceived after Kunti performed Chhath puja.Draupadiis also said to perform the Puja forPandavasto win theKurukshetra War.It is believed that Draupadi performed Chhath Puja near a spring in Nagdi village ofRanchi.In this village Chhath vratis neither offers Arghya in the river nor in the pond. Chhath Puja is performed near that spring in Nagdi.

Further reading

• Sharma, S. P.; Gupta, Seema (2006).Fairs and Festivals of India.Pustak Mahal.pp. 26–29.ISBN978-81-223-0951-5.
• Dhyani, Ashish (30 July 2021).Hindu Festivals-why to celebrate.Fantabulous Publishers India. pp. 133–140.