Here is everything you should know about auspicious Chhath Puja
Every Festival in India has its own enriched history and we celebrate it with great enthusiasm. Chhath puja has already begun today. And people are all geared up to celebrate it with utmost joy. Chhath is an important festival of the Hindu religion.
What all customs are performed?
This festival is celebrated mostly in Bihar and Nepal’s Mithila; Chhath Puja is dedicated to the worship of the Sun god and his wife.
Devotees perform the Puja to thank the Sun god for supporting life on earth and seek protection his and blessings. In India sun is regarded as God and people often offer prayer in order to seek his blessings.
Entire Chhath puja is offered to god sun. In the Hindu religion, the Sun is believed to be the healer of many severe health conditions and ensures longevity, prosperity, progress and well-being.
This beautiful festival is celebrated consecutively for four days by following the rituals. The rituals include: fasting, including abstinence from drinking water; holy bathing, offering prayers to the rising and setting sun, and meditating by standing in water for long periods of time.
Chhath Puja and its craze in other parts of India
Now not in Bihar or Nepal Chhath Puja is celebrated in others states too. States like Jharkhand, Bihar, and eastern UP, regions of Nepal, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Bangalore, Chandigarh, and Chhattisgarh also celebrate the festival with great fervor.
Well, Chhath Pujs is celebrated on the sixth day of the month of Karthika in the Vikram Samvat. It is also celebrated in the summers, some days after Holi. However, Chhath Puja of Karthika month has its own importance and essence.
Specific four days
These four days are indeed very special and they have their own essence. Just have a look:
Nahay Khay– The first day of Chhath Puja, devotees take a dip, preferably in the Kosi River, Karnali and Ganga, and carry home the holy water to prepare the offerings.
Lohanda- The second day, the devotees observe a fast for the whole day, which ends in the evening a little after sunset. After offering prayer to Sun and the Moon, they prepare offerings of kheer,bananas and rice for their family. After consuming the offering, they fast for 36 hours without water.
Sandhya Arghya (evening offerings)- After preparing the prasad, the devotees take a dip in the holy water body in the evening and worship the Sun god and Chhathi maiyya. They offer the evening offerings amid folk songs.
Usha Arghya- The fourth day, devotees go to the holy waters and offer morning offerings or ‘Usha arghya’ to the sun, following which they break their fast.
