Chhath Puja

Chhath Puja is dedicated to the sun god and observed for four days during the hindu lunar month of Kartik. Chhath Puja, also known as Surya Shashti,It Is performed to offer thanks to the Sun God, Surya.

The puja is performed  on Kartik Shukla Shashti i.e. 6th day of the month of Kartik, This falls typically in the month of October or November.Chhath Puja is the only festival in the world where devotees offer salutations to the setting and rising sun to celebrate the significance of the cycle of birth, which starts with death.

It is also celebrated in the summer (March–April), on Chaitra Shashti, some days after Holi; this event is called Chaiti Chhath. The former is more popular because winter is the usual festive season in North India, and Chhath, being an arduous observance, requiring the worshipers to fast without water for around 36 hours continuously, is easier to undertake in the Indian winters.

History :

 Draupadi and the Pandavas, rulers of Hastinapur (modern Delhi), performed the Chhath ritual on the advice of noble sage Dhaumya. Through her worship of the Sun God, Draupadi was not only able to solve her immediate problems, but also helped the Pandavas later regain their lost kingdom.

Rigveda, one of the four Hindu Vedas, contains hymns worshipping the Sun God and describes rituals of the similar kind that are performed on the day of Chhath.

It is also believed that Chhath was started by Karna, the son of Surya (Surya Putra Karna). Surya Putra Karna ruled over the Anga Desh (present day Bhagalpur district of Bihar) during the Mahabharat Age.

Chhath Puja Fast :

The festivities consist of four days meant for fasting and penance by standing inside the water for long times. Chhath Puja vrat is observed for three days, starting from the second day. Worshippers observe fast or upvaas, known as Kharna, from sunrise until the evening, when the sun sets. Puja is performed and the deities are offered with kheer, sweets and fruits.

On the first day of Chhath, the Parvaitins(main worshipper of the family generally women) are supposed to take only one meal during the day that too after the sunset. On the second day, the Parvaitins are supposed to fast the whole day and are supposed to break bread only after the sunset when they are done with the Puja. Thereafter, Parvaitins go on a fast for next 36 hours, without food and water. They open their fast on the fourth day after they offer prayers to the rising sun in the morning. Parvaitins along with their family members visit River Ganges before sun rise. With folded hands, they welcome the Sun, offering sandalwood, vermillion, rice and fruits covered in saffron colored cotton cloth. Chanting of the mantras and hymns are done continuously. Fasting, thus, is an integral part of this festival which is observed rigorously by the Parvaitins.

Rituals :

Chhath is a festival of bathing and worshipping,that follows a period of abstinence and segregation of the worshiper from the main household for four days. During this period, the worshiper observes purity, and sleeps on the floor on a single blanket.This is the only holy festival which has no involvement of any pandit (priest). The devotees offer their prayers to the setting sun, and then the rising sun in celebrating its glory as the cycle of birth starts with death. It is seen as the most glorious form of Sun worship.

The main worshipers, called Parvaitin , are usually women. However, a large number of men also observe this festival. The parvaitin pray for the well-being of their family, and for the prosperity of their offsprings. Once a family starts performing Chhatt Puja, it is their duty to perform it every year and to pass it on to the following generations. The festival is skipped only if there happens to be a death in the family that year.The prasad offerings include sweets, Kheer, Thekua and fruit offered in small bamboo soop winnows. The food is strictly vegetarian and it is cooked without salt, onions or garlic. Emphasis is put on maintaining the purity of the food.

Four Days Of Chhath Puja Festival

Day 1: Naha Kha
The first day on which festivities start is called Naha Kha, which literally means to bathe and eat. On this day, devotees go to a sacred river in their place and take a dip in the river, hence completing the first part of the ritual, snanam or bathing. Later on, devotees take home some water from the holy river to prepare offerings for the day. Preparations need to be done before the offerings are prepared. The house and compound nearby is conscientiously cleaned. The person who is fasting on this day, Parvaitins, is supposed to meal once this day.

Day 2: Kharna
On Pancahami, the fifth day according to the Hindu solar calendar, the Parvaitins observe fast for the complete day. They are not supposed to eat anything before the sunset. Just after sunrise, Mother Earth is worshipped and the offerings which comprise of Rasiao-kheer, puris, and bananas are distributed among the friends and relatives. After this, the Parvaitins break bread. From this time the Parvaitins go on a fast for the next 36 hours not even drinking a single draught of water.


Day 3: Chhath

The day is divided into to main parts which are called by two separate names depending on the time of the day these rituals are performed at.

• Sanjhiya Arghya: The term Sanjhiya Arghya literally means evening offerings. The entire day is spent resting and preparing offerings at home. In the evening, the entire household accompanies the Parvaitins to the pond or a reservoir devised for the particular reason where he or she makes offerings to the setting sun. The whole atmosphere is that of a carnival. A huge crowd is present to receive blessing of the Parvaitins. Folk songs are sung which are passed from generation to generation through oral rendition. These folk songs reflect the culture, social structure, mythology and history of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
• Kosi: On the night of this third day an exotic and elaborate event is conducted. A canopy is made with the help of five sugarcane sticks; lighted lamps are put inside this canopy. These five sticks symbolize the five basic elements of nature from which the human body is cast, Panchatattva. This ritual is especially followed by the families where childbirth or marriage has taken place quite recently. The earthen lit lamps are symbolic of the solar energy which helps the sustenance. Firstly, the ritual is conducted in the courtyard of the house, making offering to the setting sun. Later, this is taken to the banks of a river where the ritual is continued and ends with worshipping the rising sun.

Day 4: Parna

The offerings given to the sun in the morning are called Bihaniya Aragh. The Parvaitin and the family members visit the bank of the sacred river before the sunrise to make offerings to the rising sun. The festival is concluded after the Parvaitins break their fast and the Prasad is distributed among the friends and family who visit the home of the Parvaitins. 

As it is celebrated Mainly in North India Devotees visit River Ganga  and Yamuna,major celebrations takes place in those rivers. It is also said that the Goddess that is worshipped during the famous Chhath Puja is known as Chhathi Maiya. Chhathi Maiya is known as Usha in the Vedas.During the Chhath Puja, Chhathi Maiya is invoked to bless us with this divine consciousness which will help us to overcome all the troubles in the world – this bless will help us to Moksha or liberation.

Chhath Puja Dates in 2017 :

24th October - Naha Kha

25th October - Kharna

26th October - Sandhya Argh

27th October - Suryodaya Arghya Paran