Chhath Puja: Story, Significance, and Method
India is known as the land of festivals. Various festivals are celebrated here. One of the unique festivals is Chhath Puja. This festival holds special significance for the people of Bihar. But this folk festival, celebrated in many parts of UP, Purvanchal, Jharkhand, and Nepal along with Bihar, has taken the form of a great festival today. In this four-day-long festival, women observe a fast for 36 hours and pray for a long life for their husbands and sons. Let us tell you the importance of the Chhath festival, the worship method, timing, and mythology of this festival.
Chhath Puja Date
Chhath Puja 2024 is on 07 November, Thursday
Chhath Tithi Starts- 07 November, 12:41 AM
Chhath Tithi Ends- 08 November, 12:35 AM
Significance of Chhath Puja
The glory of the Chhath festival is immense, according to the scriptures, Chhath Puja starts from Kartik Shukla Chaturthi and ends till Kartik Shukla Saptami. Chhath Puja is celebrated on the sixth day of Shukla Paksha of Kartik month. This great festival lasts for four days, during which the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya are worshipped. This year Chhath will start on 07 November 2024 with a bath. At the same time, Kharna is to be held on 06 November 2024. On November 07, Arghya will be offered to the sun. On November 08, this great festival will end with the offering of Arghya to the rising sun in the morning. In Chhath Puja, women observe a fast for 36 hours for long life, healthy life, and happiness and prosperity of their children. It is believed that the devotees who worship Chhath get happiness, prosperity, wealth, glory, fame, and honor.
Story of Chhath festival
Chhath Puja is a festival that is all about purity, devotion, and offering prayers to the Sun God; The exact origin of this festival is unclear but there are some beliefs that connect to the Hindu epics. Ramayana and Mahabharata are two epics that are associated with Chhath Puja.
The Connection of Chhath Puja with Ramayana
It is believed that Lord Rama is associated with the beginning of Chhath Puja. It is said that when Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya, he and his wife Sita kept a fast in honor of the Sun god and broke it with the setting sun. This is a ritual that later evolved into Chhath Puja.
Chhath Puja related to Mahabharat
The famous character of Mahabharata, Karna is said to be the child of the Sun God and Kunti. It is said that Karna usually prayed while standing in the water. However, there is another story that mentions how Draupadi and the Pandavas also performed a similar puja to get their Dominion or Kingdom back.
Chhath Puja Method
There is a bath on the Chaturthi Tithi of Kartik month, followed by Kharna on the second day and Arghya is offered to the setting sun on the third day. On the fourth day, after offering Arghya to the rising sun, the fast is broken.
Day 1: Nahay Khay
This great festival begins with a bath. On this day, women take a vow to fast after bathing and eat sattvic food like gram dal, gourd vegetables, and rice. On this day special care is taken of purity.
Day 2: Kharna
On the second day of the Chhath festival, women observing fast make offerings of jaggery kheer. This Prasad is taken at night. Kharna means purification of body and mind. From today onwards fasting for 36 hours of fasting starts which ends on Saptami.
Day 3: Arghya to the Setting Sun
On the third day of Chhath Mahaparva, Chhathi Maiyya and Sun God are worshipped. In the evening at sunset, the fasting women offer Arghya by standing in the water in the river, pond, or at home.
Day 4: Arghya to the Rising Sun
On the fourth and last day of the Mahaparva, fasting women stand in water and offer Arghya to the rising sun. Only after this Chhath Puja ends. In the end, the fast is broken.
Festival and Celebrations during the Chhath festival
Devotional songs form an important part of the celebrations associated with Chhath Puja. On this day Chhath Geet is recited everywhere and adds to the festive mood. People wear traditional clothes and throng to see 'Arghya' before sunrise. Cities like Patna and Gaya are lit up very well on this day. The sanctity of the festival is undeniable, as everyone upholds the values of maintaining cleanliness and purity of mind. Devotees who undergo the rigors of fasting and renunciation are considered to be of great importance in this puja and seek blessings from them. For specific information about Chhath Puja, you can use an online astrology consultation service.
