Chhath
Puja
Chhath
Puja is a famous festival of India, mainly celebrated by the people of Bihar,
Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Assam. This festival is falls in the month
of October ? November. There was a story behind this puja, that Lord Rama and
Sita Mata performed the Chhath Puja, when they returned back to Ayodhya after
the completion of their exile of Fourteen Years. They observed the fast and
offered puja to Lord Sun in Karthika month, after that it became an important
and traditional festival. There was a
one more story in regards of this Puja, that Draupadi, Pandavs when they lost
everything in gambling, she started to keep fast and as a result, they got
everything back.
This
festival is celebrated for four days. Anyone can keep this fast and perform puja
either male or female.People worship Surya for giving light and life to us.
Chhati Maiya is also worship for giving us crops and children. People worshiped
Sun and Chhati Maiya in this puja and they have faith that Sun God fulfills their
all desires if they observe this fast. People believe on this day, Sun rays are
one pious.
On
this festival devotees assemble at the ghat, river, and pond. Now a day in
Corona pandemic, people make small pond at their home terrace or in lawn for
giving araghya to Surya Dev. People who
keep fast take a holy dip in the water when Sun set in the evening and next day
when sun rises in the morning. Since my
childhood I am also a part of this festival. My mother does not observe this fast,
but other members of my family keep fast and do this Puja at their home. The main Prasad for this festival is Thekua. Ladies
prepare this Prasad at their home on Chulha.
In villages ladies make this Prasad on Chulha but in cities they prepare
on Gas. This puja is something interesting like older people passed this
festival to their kids to observe this festival unlike other festivals. Prasad
for this festival are Sugarcane, Gur, Kheer, fruits etc. It is an auspicious
occasion and I love to be a part of it. Ladies also sings the song and make the
Prasad.Delhi government and other non-government organization construct artificial water bodies and ponds for the devotees to perform the Puja .
On
the very fast day of Chhath Puja is called Nahay Khav. In the first day those
who keep fast take a holy bath in river, pond, and lake or in temple ghat etc.Next
day, devotees make Sweet Kheer in Prasad and the name of this day is Kharna. The third day of the Puja is called Sandhya
Arghya, on this day people offer Arghya to the setting Sun and
last day of the Puja is called Usha Arghya on this day people make
Arghya to the rising Sun , early in the morning .Earlier
this festival was popular in Bihar only, but now it is not only celebrated in
Bihar but other parts of India also. It is also celebrated in Foreign Countries.