Chhath Puja - Festivals of Solar Deity Surya and Shashthi Devi (Chhathi Maiya)

 

View of Chhath Puja with Mitheswarnath Shiv Temple @ Mitthu Thakur Pond.
[Photo: Kamal Thakur @ 20|November|2020]

Chhath is an ancient Hindu Vedic festival historically native to the Indian subcontinent, more specifically, the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh and the Madhesh region of Nepal. The Chhath Puja is dedicated to the solar deity Surya and Shashthi Devi (Chhathi Maiya) in order to thank them for bestowing the bounties of life on earth and to request the granting of certain wishes. This festival is observed by Biharis & Nepalese along with their diaspora.

The festival does not involve idolatry and is dedicated to worship the Chhathi Maiya (Shashthi Mata) and sun God Surya along with his consorts Usha and Pratyusha the Vedic Goddess of Dawn and Dusk respectively. It is believed that the main sources of Sun's powers are his wife Usha and Pratyusha. In Chhath, there is combined worship of both the powers along with the Sun. In the morning, worship of the first ray (Usha) of the Sun and the last ray (Pratyusha) of the Sun in the evening are offered to both of them. And the rituals are rigorous and are observed over a period of four days. They include holy bathing, fasting, and abstaining from drinking water (Vratta), standing in water for long periods of time, and offering prasad (prayer offerings) and Arghya to the setting and rising sun. Some devotees also perform a prostration march as they head for the river banks.

Environmentalists have claimed that the festival of Chhath is one of the most eco-friendly religious festivals that should be used to spread "the message of nature conservation". Moreover, it’s arguably one of few Hindu festivals that transcend the rigid caste system, which emerged in the post-Vedic period, to touch upon the ideas of "equality, fraternity, unity, and integrity. Every devotee—elite or middle class (and caste)—prepares almost similar Prasad and other items to offer to the Almighty. All the devotees without any distinction in caste, colour or economy, arrive at the bank of rivers or ponds for extending prayers."

Although the festival is observed most elaborately in the Madhesh (southern) region of Nepal and Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, and UP, it is also more prevalent in areas where migrants from those areas have a presence. It is celebrated in all Northern regions and major Northern urban centers in India. The festival is celebrated in the regions including but not exclusive to the northeast region of India, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Rajasthan Mumbai, Mauritius, Fiji, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, Jamaica, other parts of the Caribbean, United States, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Macau, Japan, and Indonesia.

Chhath Puja, also known as Sun Shashthi is celebrated on Kartik Shukla Shashthi. This festival is celebrated after 6 days of Diwali and mainly celebrated in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand with great fanfare. On Chhath Puja, worshiping Sun God and Chhathi Maiya helps you gain health, wealth and happiness. In the last few years, Chhath Pooja has got a special significance as a folk festival. This is the reason why the festival is celebrated with great pomp and show.

Chhath Puja Vidhi

Get all the samagri before the Chhath puja and offer an arghya to Sun God:

• 1 large Bamboo Baskets, 3 Soop made of bamboo or Brass, Plate, Milk, and Glass
• Rice, Red Vermilion, Lamp, Coconut, Turmeric, Sugarcane, Suthani, Vegetable, and Sweet Potato
• Pear, Big Lemons, honey, Paan, Whole Herd, Caravans, Camphor, Sandalwood and Dessert
• As Prasad, Take Thekua, Malpua, Kheer-Puri, Semolina Pudding, Rice Ladoos.

Chhath Puja Arghya Vidhi

Place the above Chhath puja samagri in the bamboo basket. Put the whole prasad in soop and burn the lamp in the soop. Then, all the women stand in knee deep water with traditional soop in their hands to offer an arghya to the sun.

Legend Associated with Chhath Puja

The Chhathi Maiya is worshiped on the Chhath festival, which is also mentioned in the Brahma Vaivarta Purana. According to a legend, King Priyavrat, son of First Manu Swayambhu, had no children. Because of this, he used to be very sad. Maharishi Kashyap asked him to do a yajna. According to Maharishis orders, he performed a yajna for a son. After this, Queen Malini gave birth to a son but unfortunately, the baby was born dead. King and other family members were very sad because of this. Only then a craft seen in the sky, where Mata Shashthi was sitting. When the king prayed to her, then she introduced herself and said that - I am the manas daughter of Lord Brahma, Shashthi Devi. I protect all the children of the world and give the blessings of children to all childless parents.

After this, Goddess blessed the lifeless child with her hands, so that he was alive. The king was very pleased with the grace of the Goddess and he worshiped the goddess Shashthi Devi. It is believed that after this puja, this festival is celebrated worldwide.

Religious and Cultural Significance of Chhath Puja

Chhath Puja is a festival of religious and cultural importance. This is the only festival in which the sister of the Sun (called Chhathi Mother) is worshipped and offered an arghya. Arghya is given only in the evening and in the morning because Chhathi's Mother is there with the sun at the same time. The worship of the sun in the Hindu religion is of great importance. He is the only God whom we can see on a regular basis. In the Vedas, the Sun God is called the soul of the world. The light of the sun has the ability to destroy many diseases. With the auspicious effect of the sun, the person gets health, wealth, and self-confidence. In Vedic astrology, the sun is said to be the factor of soul, father, ancestor, respect, and high government services. On the Chhath Puja, worship of Sun's sister (called Chhathi Mother) and Shashti Maiya is achieved for a person, children, pleasure, and desire. Culturally, the main feature of this festival is the simplicity of tradition, love for purity, and nature.

Significance of Chhath Puja the Astrological Way

The Chhath festival is of great importance even as per scientific and astrological point of view. The sixth tithi of the Kartik Shukla Paksha is a special astronomical occasion when the sun is situated in the southern hemisphere of the earth. During this time, ultraviolet rays of the sun collect more than the normal amount on the earth. The direct effect of these harmful rays falls on people's eyes, stomach, and skin. The worship and offering an arghya to the sun on the Chhath puja should not harm the person with ultraviolet rays, hence the importance of Sun worship increases.

Types of Chhath Puja

Chaitra Chhath - Distinctly known as "Chaiti Chhath", this is observed in the Chaitra month of Vikram Samvat.

Kartik Chhath - Popularly called "Chhath", this is celebrated at a very large scale in the Kartika month of Vikram Samvat.

History

Chhath is a Vedic ritual dedicated to Hindu solar deity Surya, and goddess Shashthi (also called Chhathi Maiyya). It has also been mentioned in both the major Indian epics - In Ramayana, when Rama and Sita returned Ayodhya, then people celebrated Deepawali, and on its sixth day Ramrajya was established. On this day Rama and Sita kept fast and Surya Shashthi/Chhath Puja was performed by Sita. Hence, she was blessed with Luv and Kush as their sons. While in the Mahabharata, Chhath Puja was performed by Kunti after they escaped from Lakshagrih.

Rituals and traditions

The main worshipers, called parvaitin (from Sanskrit parv, meaning "occasion" or "festival"), are usually women. However, many 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 offspring. In some communities, 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. In other communities, this is not mandatory.

Chhath Puja is a four-day event. Entire house, its surrounding and pathways to the Ghaat is thoroughly cleaned. It starts with

• Kaddu Bhaat or Nahai Khai - The Parvaitin cooks the most Satvik Kaddu Bhaat (Bottle Gourd and Bengal Gram Lentil preparation with Arva Rice Bhaat) This preparation is served to the deity in the afternoon as Bhog. This initiates the parv and is the last meal of the Parvaitin during Chhath Puja.
• Kharna - This is observed the next day of Kaddu Bhaat or on the eve of Pahli Arag (Arghya). The preparation starts in the afternoon. Parvaitin Cooks a Rice and Jaggery Kheer with Dosti Poori, other seasonal fruits, and dry fruits as also offered to the deity as naivedya (bhoga).
• Pahli Arag
• Dusri Arag

The prasad offerings include sweets, Kheer, Thekua, and fruits (mainly sugarcane, sweet lime, and banana) offered in small bamboo soop winnows. The food is strictly vegetarian and is cooked without salt, onions, or garlic. Emphasis is put on maintaining the purity of the food.

Sandhya Arghya (evening offerings)

This day is spent preparing the prasad (offerings)at home. On the eve of this day, the entire household accompanies the Vratins to a riverbank, pond, or a common large water body to make the offerings (Arghya) to the setting sun. It is during this phase of Chhath Puja that the devotees offer prayers to the just setting sun. The occasion is almost a carnival. Besides the Vratins, there are friends and family, and numerous participants and onlookers, all willing to help and receive the blessings of the worshipper. The folk songs sung on the evening of Chhath.

After returning from ghat to home the vratins perform the ritual of Kosi bharai. In this ritual, the vratis along with other family members involved to perform all the rituals regarding Kosi bharai. They took 5 to 7 sugarcanes and they tied them together to form mandap and beneath the shed of that mandap 12 to 24 earthen lamps are burnt and offerings like thekua and other seasonal fruits offered there. The same ritual is repeated in the ghat the next morning between 3:00 am to 4:00 am and afterward the vratis offers arghya or offerings to the rising sun.