What is Chhath Puja?

Chhath Puja is an ancient festival celebrated on the sixth day after Diwali. Chhath Puja is also known as Surya Chhath or Daala Chhath. Chhath Puja is celebrated in various metropolises of the country including Bihar, Jharkhand, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh. Although people salute the rising sun, but Chhath Puja is a unique festival which begins with the worship of the setting sun. The word “Chhath” comes from the abbreviation “Shashthi”, which means “six”, so this festival is celebrated on the sixth day of the ascending phase of the moon, on the Shukla Paksha of the month of Kartik. This festival, which is celebrated from Chaturthi of Kartik month to Saptami, lasts for four days. The main puja is performed on the sixth day of Shukla Paksha of Kartik month.

History of Chhath Puja

1. King Priyavand performed Chhath Puja to save the life of his son

According to a legend, King Priyavand was childless, he was suffering from this. He talked to Maharishi Kashyap about this. Then Maharishi Kashyap performed Putrayeshti Yagya for getting a child. During that time, the kheer prepared for the sacrifice in the yagna was given to Malini, the wife of King Priyavand, to eat. By consuming the kheer of the yagna, Queen Malini gave birth to a son, but he was born dead. King Priyavand reached the crematorium with the body of the dead son and started giving up his life in the grief of his son.

At that very moment, Devsena, the daughter of Brahma, appeared. She said to King Priyavand, I am born from the sixth part of the basic nature of the creation, hence my name is also Shashthi. You worship me and spread it among the people. As per the advice of Mother Shashthi, King Priyavand performed the fast of the mother with the desire of having a son, that day was Shashthi of the Shukla Paksha of Kartik month. As a result, King Priyavand got a son.

2. Shri Ram and Sita worshipped the Sun

According to mythology, after killing the King of Lanka, Ravana, and coming to Ayodhya, Lord Shri Ram and Mother Sita fasted on the sixth day of Shukla Paksha of Kartik month and worshiped the Sun God to establish Ram Rajya.

3. Draupadi kept the Chhath fast for the Pandavas

In mythology, the beginning of Chhath fast is also linked to Draupadi. ​​Draupadi kept the Chhath fast and worshiped the Sun for the better health and happy life of the five Pandavas, as a result of which the Pandavas got back their lost kingdom.

4. Danveer Karna started the Sun worship

According to the Mahabharata, Danveer Karna was the son of the Sun and used to worship the Sun daily. According to the story, Karna was the first to start worshipping the Sun. He used to go to the river after bathing every day and offer water to the Sun.

Chhath Puja Festival

1. First Day

On the first day of Chhath Puja, Kartik Shukla Chaturthi is celebrated as ‘Nahay-Khay‘. First of all, the house is cleaned and purified. After this, the Chhathvrati takes a bath and starts the fast by eating pure vegetarian food prepared in a sacred manner. All the members of the house take food only after the fasting person has eaten. Pumpkin, gram lentils and rice are consumed as food. On this day, devotees take a dip in Koshi, Karnali and Ganga rivers, and take this holy water home to prepare prasad.

2. Second Day

On the second day, Kartik Shukla Panchami, the fasting person eats in the evening after fasting for the whole day, this is called ‘Kharna’. All the people nearby are invited to take the ‘Kharna’ prasad. As prasad, kheer of jaggery and rice and roti are prepared on an earthen stove. Salt or sugar is not used in it. No utensils are used during the puja. Banana leaves are used for performing the puja. During this time, special attention should be paid to the cleanliness of the entire house. After receiving the offerings, they fast for 36 hours without water.

3. Third day

On the third day of Kartik “Shukla Shashthi”, Chhath Prasad is prepared on an earthen stove. Thekua, which is also called Tikri in some areas, is offered as Prasad. Apart from Thekua, rice laddus are made. Apart from this, cloves, big cardamom, betel nut, agrapat, gadi-chohra, gram, sweets, raw turmeric, ginger, banana, lemon, water chestnut, suthani, radish and coconut, vermilion and many types of fruits brought as offerings are included in the Chhath Prasad. In the evening, after making all the preparations and arrangements, the basket of arghya is decorated in a bamboo basket and all the people of the family and the neighbourhood start walking towards the ghat to offer arghya to the setting sun. All Chhath fasting women gather on the banks of a holy river or pond and sing Chhath songs collectively. After this, they complete the arghya donation. Water is offered to the sun and Chhathi Maiya is worshipped with a basket full of prasad. During this, the scene of a fair is created for a few hours. After sunset, everyone comes home with all the goods singing Sohar and starts another puja process in the courtyard of their house. Which is called Koshi. This puja is done when a wish is fulfilled or when some auspicious work takes place in the house. In this, an umbrella is made by tying seven sugarcanes with a new cloth in which an earthen pot or elephant is placed and a lamp is lit in it and prasad is placed around it. All the women unite and sing songs of Koshi and thank Chhathi Maiya.

4. Fourth day
On the fourth day, on the morning of Kartik Shukla Saptami, offering of water is made to the rising sun.