Chhath Puja Bihar Biggest Festival
Chhath Puja most eco-friendly Hindu festival :
A Few About Chhath Maiya:
This festival is considered to be the most eco-friendly Hindu festival because all the things that are used in rituals are obtained naturally. All the rituals are performed on the banks of the rivers or other water bodies. The use of synthetic material is restricted which makes it eco-friendly. Most items used in Chhath are close to nature. For example, the ‘daura’ and ‘soop’ used in rituals are bamboo products that are bio-degradable. Also in Chhath Puja, people worship nature itself by worshipping the Sun God as all the living beings on this planet, either directly or indirectly depend on the sun for solar energy.
Chhath Mantra (छठ मन्त्र):
एष ब्रम्हा च विष्णुष्च शिव: स्कन्द: प्रजापती: ।
महेन्द्रोधनद: कालो यम: सोमो ह्यपाम्पति: ।।
एनमापत्सु क्रिच्छेषु कन्तारेषु भयेषु च ।
किर्तयन पुरुष्: कष्चिन्नवसिदती राघव ।।।
आदित्य्म सर्बकर्तंरं कलाद्वदाद्शम्युतमं ।
पद्महस्त्द्वयं वन्दे सर्वलोकैकभस्करमं ।।
Chaiti ChhathCelebration:-
According to the Hindu calendar, it is celebrated on, Kartika Shukla Shashthi, which is the sixth day of the month of Kartika. In the Gregorian English Calendar, it falls in the month of October or November. At some places, Chaiti Chhath is also celebrated in the month of Chaitra (March or April) a few days after Holi. Chhath means sixth in Nepali, Maithili and Bhojpuri languages. Therefore It is called Chhath because it is celebrated on the sixth day of the month of Kartika. In 2019, the four-day festival will start on 2nd November.It is believed that Chhath Puja may even predate the ancient Vedas texts, as the Rigveda contains hymns worshipping the Sun God. Also, there are many references to the rituals in the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana.
1. In Mahabharata, Draupadi and the Pandavas perform the Chhath rituals (worshipping Sun God) on the advice of noble sage Dhaumya in order to regain their lost kingdom, Indraprastha (modern Delhi).
2. Some people believe that Surya Putra Karna first started the Chhath Puja as he was the son of Sun God Surya.
3. Another mythological story behind celebrating Chhath Puja is the story of Lord Rama. It is considered that Lord Rama of Ayodhya and Sita of Mithila had kept fast and offer puja to the Lord Sun in the month of Kartika in Shukla Paksha during their coronation after returning to the Ayodhya after 14 years of exile.
4. This festival has another interesting history. A long time ago, sages used to refrain from any intake of food and channelize the energy of the sun towards them and survive.
Chhath Puja Know as Other Name:-
Chhath Puja,Dala Chhath, Chhathi Pooja,Dala Pooja,Chhath Maiya puja,Surya Sasthi,Katiki Chhath,Chaiti Chhath, Kartik Chhath,Chaitra Chhath & Ravi Sasthi these know as other names call chhath maiya.
This is the only Hindu festival or perhaps the only festival in the world that signifies the rising and the setting Sun. The most unique feature of this Chhath Puja is that there is no Murti Pujan or Idol Worshipping unlike most of the festivals of the Hindu religion. Some people simply opine that Sun is necessary for the life of possibly every creature on the earth and this festival is a way to pay tribute to it irrespective of caste, creed, gender, race, and social stigmas.
Rituals and traditions:-
The main worshipers, called Parvaitin (from Sanskrit parv, meaning 'occasion' or 'festival'), are usually women. However, a large number of men also observe this festival as Chhath is not a gender-specific festival. The parvaitin pray for the well-being of their family, and for the prosperity of their offsprings. Once a family member starts performing Chhath Puja, it is their compulsory 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. If the person stops performing the ritual on any particular year, it stops permanently and one cannot resume it again.
Day
|
Date
|
Ritual
|
Thursday
|
31 October 2019
|
Nahay-Khay
|
Friday
|
1 November 2019
|
Lohanda and Kharna
|
Saturday
|
2 November 2019
|
Sandhya Argh
|
Sunday
|
3 November 2019
|
Suryodaya/Usha Argh and Paran
|
The Rituals of Chhath Puja:-
DalaChhath, commonly known as Usha is the goddess worshipped in this Puja. The Chhath festival involves several rituals, which are considerably harsher as compared to other Hindu festivals. These usually involve taking dips in rivers or water bodies, strict fasting (one can't even drink water in the entire process of fasting), standing and offering prayers in water, facing the sun for long periods and also offering prashad to the sun at sunrise and sunset.
Nahay Khay:- On the first day of the Puja, the devotees have to take a dip in the holy river and cook a proper meal for themselves. Kaddu Bhaat along with Channa dal is a common preparation on this day and it is cooked by using mud or bronze utensils and mango wood over a mud stove. The ladies observing the fast can allow themselves only one meal on this day.
Lohanda and Kharna:-
On the second day, the devotees are to observe a fast for the entire day, which they can break just a while after sunset. The Parvaitins cook the whole Prasad on their own which include kheer and chapattis and they break their fast with this Prasad, after which they have to fast without water for 36 hours.
Sandhya Arghya:-
The third day is spent by preparing the Prasad at home and then in the evening, the entire household of the Vratins accompany them to the river bank, where they make offerings to the setting sun. The females generally wear sarees of turmeric yellow colour while making their offerings. The evenings are made even better with the enthusiastic folk songs.
Usha Arghya:-
Here, on the final day, all the devotees go to the riverbank before sunrise to make offerings to the rising sun. This festival ends when the Vratins break their 36 hours fast (called Paran) and the relatives come over to their house to have their share of Prasad.
Food During Surya Sasthi:-
The Chhath Prasad is traditionally prepared with rice, wheat, dry fruits, fresh fruits, nuts, jaggery, coconut and lots and lots of ghee. One important thing regarding the meals prepared during Chhath is that they are prepared completely without salt, onion and garlic.
Thekua is a special part of the Chhath Puja and it is basically a cookie made with whole wheat flour which you must surely try if you visit the place during the festival.
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