Chhath Puja is a Hindu festival which is celebrated annually during the Kartika month according to the Hindu calendar and it is a four day festival starting from the sixty day of the Kartika month which means this year it starts from 28th October and will run upto 31st October.
This festival is dedicated to the worship of the sun god, Lord Surya! Kartiki Chhath is actually the second half of the celebration, as the first one, Chaiti Chhath, takes place early on during April and May.
Today this festival is a major Hindu festival in the Eastern states of India like Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and in some regions of Nepal as well. Prayers during Chhath puja are dedicated to the solar deity, Surya, to show gratitude and thankfulness for bestowing the bounties of life on earth and to request that certain wishes be granted.
| Event | Chhath Puja |
|---|---|
| Date | October 28, 2022 |
| Day | Friday |
| Significance | One of the auspicious Hindu festival celebrated to worship Lord Surya |
| Observed by | India |
Chhath Puja Date:
Chhath Puja is annually celebrated during the Kartika month of the Hindu calendar which usually falls between October and November and this Chhath Puja is actually the second one of the year called as Katiki Chhath Puja.
This festival is celebrated for four days starting from the sixth day of the Kartika month which means this year it starts from 28th of October and will end on 31st October.
Chhath Puja History:
It is believed that the religious rituals of Chhath Puja date back to ancient times, since traces of it are mentioned in the Vedas which are the ancient scriptures of Hinduism and also one of the oldest in the world. The Rigveda, the oldest text of the Vedic Sanskrit hymns, features chants adulating Lord Surya and similar customs. The festivity also finds a reference in the Mahabharata, a Sanskrit epic poem of Hinduism in which Draupadi is described observing the same traditional rituals. It is believed that Draupadi performed Chhath Puja on the advice of sage named Dhaumya to help Pandavas to regain their lost kingdom.
There are many popular legends which are associated with the origins of Chhath Puja the most popular one comes from the story of Ramayana which is also one of the epics of Hinduism telling the story of Lord Rama. It is believed that Lord Rama and Mata Sita kept fast together on this day, and during 'Kartik', and offered 'puja' to Lord Surya, at the time of their coronation in Shukla Paksha as a way to get blessings from the Lord Surya as they were living in an exile to a forest that time.
As per legends, Chhath Puja stems from the early Vedic period, where sages would fast for days and perform the puja with mantras from Rigveda. It is believed that Chhath Puja was also performed by Karna in the Mahabharata epic who was the son of Lord Surya and the king of Anga Desh, which is believed to be the modern-day Bhagalpur in Bihar. Karna was a great warrior in Mahabharata and although he was actually the oldest among the Pandavas but he fought for the rivals the Kauravas because of his friendship with the Kaurava king Duryodhana and his hatred for Pandavas as he was considered illegitimate.
According to another popular legend, a long time ago, there lived a king named, "Priyabrat" and his wife "Malini". The king and his wife were living happily, but they were sad and miserable as they had no child. They decided to arrange a big Yagya with the help of Maharishi Kashyap to be blessed with a child. Due to the effects of the Yagya, Rani Malini got pregnant; however she delivered a dead child after nine months.
The king was very sad to know this, and decided to suicide. Suddenly, the Manas Kanya "Devsena" appeared and said, "I am Goddess Khashti and I'm an incarnation of the sixth part of the universe. If you worship me with pure mind and soul for six days, you would definitely be blessed with a child." The king and her queen did the same and later they blessed with a very beautiful baby boy. Since then people started worshipping Chhathi Maiya (Shashti Goddess) and celebrating the Chhath Puja.
Chhath Puja Significance:
The festival is dedicated to Surya (Sun God) Bhagwaan, which people believe sustains life on the earth. The puja is also performed to seek blessings from Surya to live longer, healthy and prosper all through the life. The festival is celebrated in between the months of October and November. Chhath literally means "Six" and here the festival gets started just after the Govardhan Puja, completing on the seventh day (Saptami- the Paran/ Parna Day). Hindu people believe that the early sunlight helps to cure many diseases and is a great source of healing too.
Along with the Sun God, Chhathi Maiya is also worshipped on this day. According to Vedic astrology, Chhathi Maiya (or Chhathi Mata) protects the children from diseases and problems and gives them long lives and good health. Hence devotess offers prayers to her on this occasion to always keep them safe from the threats of diseases. That's why for the people from the Bihar state and other close by areas, Chhath Puja is considered as Mahaparva which is the major festival. So it holds a lot of importance in the Hindu calendar.
As per yogic philosophy, the physical or exterior forms of all living beings are highly advanced energy channels. The solar bio-electricity starts moving into the human body when it is exposed to solar radiations of a particular wavelength. Under specific physical and mental conditions, the absorption as well as the conduction of this solar-bio-electricity goes higher. The rituals of Chhath Puja aim at making up the body & the mind of the devotee (Vratti) for cosmic solar-energy infusion.
The process of Chatth Puja focuses on the mental discipline of the devotee. The aim of it is to take the devotee towards mental purity. By the help of many rituals, the Chatth Vratti focuses in maintaining the utmost cleanliness in all offerings and the environment. During this festival, the one thing that remains on top is the cleanliness. This lays a great detoxification effect on the mind and body as it results in biochemical changes. The 36 hours long fasting allows a complete detoxification of the body.
Chhath Puja rituals pave the way for calmness in mind. With the regularization of Pranic flow, the negative responses like jealousy, anger and others are decreased. With patience and genuine practice, the psychic powers including healing, intuition and telepathy are awakened. This depends on the concentration level that devotees practice during the festival. Only during sunrise and sunset majority of humans can safely receive the solar energy. However, there may be some exceptions. This is why the festival Chhath Puja features a tradition of offering Arghya to the sun in late evening and early in the morning.
Chhath Puja Celebrations:
The age-old celebration of Chhath Puja is dedicated to Bhagwan Surya (Sun God). It is celebrated to thank Surya for showering blessings and sustaining life & energy on earth. The rituals and traditions of Chhath Puja are very hard as the Vratti or the devotee fasts for 36 hours without a single bite of the food or a single drop of water. The very first day of the Chhath festival is called Naha Khay. On this day, the Vratti takes a bath particularly in the river Ganga & bring the holy water of the river to make Prasad(food offering) at home.
On the second day which is called Kharna, a long day fast (without water) is observed by the devotees. They fast for a whole day and end it in the evening after worshipping Chhathi Maiya and eating Prasad. Offering also called Prasad, are made of Rasiao- kheer (cooked rice in milk), puris (deep fired puffs) or chapattis and bananas. The Prasad is distributed among other family members and neighbors as well.
On third day devotees observe the fast without taking water and food. The whole day is spent in the preparation of the puja offerings. All the offerings (Arghya) are kept in Dauri (a basket made of bamboo sticks), Supali (made of fine bamboo sticks) or in metal basket. The offerings are comprised of Thekua, Puri, Coconut, Banana, Apple, Orange, and other seasonal fruits. To perform evening rituals, people go to the banks of the river or pond or other clear water bodies and then offer their Sandhya Arghya to the Sun God.
Kosi bharna or Kosiya is one of the most glowing and beautiful events during Chhath Pooja. After the Sandhya Arghya or Sanjhiya Ghaat, in angna or the courtyard of the house, kosi is celebrated. Kosi is usually earthen pots or lamps that are kept under the shade of five sugarcane sticks or twenty four sugarcane sticks tied with a yellow cloth. The same ritual of kosi is celebrated on the ghats early in the morning before Bhorwa, Bihani or Morning Arghya.
The final or fourth day of this auspicious and holy festival is called Bhorka Arghya during which the devotees gather at the bank of the river with their family and friends to offer bhorwa arghya (morning offerings) to the rising Sun. After arghya, devotees knee-down at the ghat to worship Chathi Maiya, distribute thekua and then come back to home. After their return from the ghat, the devotees or the vrattis take blessings of the elders and break their fast by eating ginger with water.
Most Searched FAQs on Chhath Puja:
1. When is Chhath Puja celebrated?
Chhath Puja is annually celebrated during the Kartika month of the Hindu calendar and it starts from the sixth day of the Kartika month and is celebrated for four days.
2. Can an unmarried girl do Kartiki Chhath Puja?
Of course, unmarried women too can celebrate the festival by keeping a fast.
3. Where is Chhath Puja celebrated?
Chhath Puja is primarily celebrated in the Eastern states of India like Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh and in some regions of Nepal as well.