Chhath Puja Celebrated in Bihar...

Chhath is a major Hindu festival celebrated in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, along with other North Indian states. This festival is celebrated after the completion of Diwali, which generally falls in the months of October and November. Chhath Puja is dedicated to Sun God for supporting life on earth and ensuring prosperity and happiness in life. The history of the Chhath Puja dates back to ancient Vedic times as the hymns associated with the worshipping of Sun God are present in Vedic text Rigveda. Some people also believe that the rituals of Chhath Puja were started by Draupadi of epic Mahabharata. There is another theory regarding the origin of Chhath Puja, which also relates from Mahabharata. It is believed that Karna, the great warrior and the son of the Surya started the rituals of Chhath Puja.




According to Hindu calendar, Chhath Puja is celebrated on the sixth day of Kartik month. Chhath Puja, also known as Surya Shashti, is a bathing festival followed by a four day period of abstinence and ritual purity. This festival is widely observed in Bihar where a large number of sun temples are present. These sun temples are generally surrounded by a surajkund, also known as sacred pool of sun, which constitute of the place of worship for the devotees. Traditionally, Chhath Puja is performed by women, however large number of men also register their presence during this festival.








Chhath Puja is a four-day long strict and spiritual observance. The first day of the Chhath Puja includes taking a dip in the holy river Ganges. People also take the water of Ganges to their home to perform special offerings and rituals. Houses are thoroughly cleaned on this day. The second day of Chhath, also known as Kharna, involves devotees to observe a day long fast which is broken in the late evening after performing the worship of Mother Earth. The offerings to the God include rice pudding (kheer) and fruits, which is distributed among family members and friends. The third day of Chhath goes in the preparation of the prasad (offerings) for the evening offerings, also known as Sanjhiya Arghya.

In the evening, large numbers of devotees gathers on the banks of river Ganga and make offerings (Arghya) to the setting sun. The folk songs are played in the evening displaying the culture and history of Bihar. Nowadays popular Bollywood songs are remixed and played during this occasion. The night of the third day witnesses a colorful event known as Kosi. A canopy is made from five sugarcane sticks and lighted earthen lamps are place inside canopy along with baskets filled prasad. On the fourth and final day of Chhath, family members and friends go to the banks of river before sunrise and make offerings (Aragh) to the rising sun. After this ritual, devotees break their fast and distribute prasad to neighbors and relatives.

Hidden Truth Chhath Puja

छठ  पूजा  कई  सदियों  से  चलती  आ रही  है । 

• छठ पूजा ४ दिन का होता है |
• छठ जिसका मतलब हिंदी में ६ (छह) होता है, और ये नाम इस लिये पड़ा क्यूंकि छठ पूजा  कार्तिक के चांद्र मास के छठे दिन शुरू होता है|
• छठ पूजा मुख्यतः बिहार में हीं नही मनाया जाता है, बल्कि पडोसी राज्य जैसे उत्तर प्रदेश, झारखण्ड, दिल्ली यहाँ तक कि महाराष्ट्र और मध्य प्रदेश जैसे कुछ मध्य भारत में भी हर्षो उल्लास से मनाया जाता है |

 

छठ पूजा  में सभी  पर्वो  में शुद्ध  और नियमों  से  अधिक महत्वपूर्ण होता है   । 

• The four-day Hindu festival, Chhath Puja, to worship the Hindu sun-god Surya ended Thursday morning.
• The festival begins on the sixth day of the lunar month of Kartika, which is where the festival gets its name. The word ‘Chhath’ means the number six in Hindi.
• The northern Indian state of Bihar is the epicenter of the festival, but it is celebrated with almost equal fervor in the neighboring states of Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, the capital city of Delhi and even in some western and central Indian states like Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
• On the first day of the festival, Nahai Khai, meaning bathe-and-eat, devotees immerse themselves in water, preferably in the waters of the River Ganges, which is sacred to Hindus. Then they bring the water home and cook prasad, a religious meal—usually pumpkin curry and chana dal, a porridge of dried and split chickpeas.
• Then begins several days of prayer and fasting. On fasting days, devotees offer prayers to the setting sun while standing—ideally on a riverbank. The final fast is usually broken by consuming ginger and sugar. On the fourth day, the final prayers are made to the rising sun.
• In the picture below, women stood on the banks of the Arabian Sea in Mumbai, on Wednesday, the penultimate day of worship, before the early morning ritual, known as Bihaniya Arghya, or morning offering, on the next day.

 

 

Chhath Puja 2015

Rituals and Traditions of Chhath Puja 

Although Chhath puja is celebrated in many parts of India, it is in Bihar that it is considered a very important occasion. Bihari's celebrate this festival on the sixth day of the lunar month after Diwali each year. The rituals on this festival include fasting and chanting prayers on the banks of the River Ganga, Yamuna or river.  During this four-day festival on the first day devotee bathe in the holy Ganga or Yamuna River (it may be any other fresh water body) at sunrise.

Then the devotee is supposed to bring the holy water home to prepare ‘Prasad’ or offering. During these four days, the worshiper gives up all luxuries and sleeps on the floor with a single blanket.  Next morning devotees maintain a strict fast with no water and food, which ends after sunset. After eating at night the devotee is suppose to start another fast on the following morning that lasts for 36 hours i.e. till third day evening. During the sunset on the third day a huge puja is held on the river banks where millions of people stand in the river with offerings that include flowers and small diyas (earthen lamps). They break their fast during this time. The sight of thousand hands offering ‘arghya’ (river water) to sun makes up for a delightful scene.  After sunset, the devotees return to their homes or temples where the celebration continues by singing hymns. On the morning of the final day, devotees visit the banks of River Ganga before sunrise and welcome the sun with folded hands. Sandalwood, rice, sugarcane and various fruits covered usually with saffron colored cloth are offered to the Sun God. Devotees offer arghya and chant mantras from the Rig Veda and distribute the Prasad amongst family and friends.

 Chhath Puja Beliefs  

According to a belief, after the main Puja on the final day, if you beg for the Prasad all your wishes will come true.  Did you know? Chhath is the only festival which celebrates the setting sun unlike any other festival. The setting sun is celebrated for its glory as the cycle of birth starts with death.