When and why Chhath festival is celebrated?
If you are wondering when Chhath festival is celebrated, then tell you that this festival is celebrated for four days from Kartik Shukla Chaturthi to Saptami. Chhath Puja begins with Nahay-Khay. After this, the second day is Kharna, the third day is the main festival of Surya Shashthi. Arghya is offered to the setting sun on this day. Arghya is offered to the rising sun after Surya Sasthi. Which is the last day of this festival? Paran is done on this day.Chhath Puja is celebrated not only in Bihar but all over India. Chhath Puja or Nahai-Khay is the most famous Hindu festival of worshiping the Sun God. This festival is celebrated on Shashthi Tithi, due to which it is called Surya Shashthi fast or Chhath. This festival of Chhathi Maiya is celebrated twice a year. First time in Chaitra month and second time in Kartik month. According to Hindu Panchang, Chhath festival celebrated on the occasion of Chhath Chaitra Shukla Paksha is called Chaiti Chhath. So at the same time, this festival celebrated on the birthday of Kartik Shukla Paksha is called Kartiki Chhath.
Chhath Puja: The Festival of Sun God
It is believed in Hinduism that the main basis of the powers of Suraj Dev is his wife Usha and Pratyusha. In Chhath, along with the Sun, both the powers are also worshiped. The first ray of the Sun i.e. Usha in the morning and the last ray of the Sun in the middle of the evening i.e. Pratyusha is prayed to both.Chhath Puja Significance:
Suryopasana Rig has been happening in India since the Vedic period. The Sun and its worship have been mentioned in Vishnu Purana, Bhagavata Purana, Brahma Vaivarta Purana, etc.It is believed that when Lord Rama returned home from mother Sita after performing Swayamvar and his kingdom was anointed, he worshiped the family of Kartik Shukla Paksha with the whole family. It is believed that a childless couple also gets a child by keeping Chhath Vrat.
According to the belief, the Sun God (Surya Bhagwan) is pleased by keeping Chhathi Maiya Vrat. According to one belief, after conquering Lanka, on the day of establishment of Ram Rajya, Kartik Shukla Shashthi i.e. on the day of Chhath, Lord Rama and Mother Sita fasted and worshiped Suryadev. Saptami was re-performed at sunrise and received blessings from Suryadev. This festival of Chhath Maiya is also celebrated in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Nepal besides Bihar.
There is also a belief that once the Pandavas lost all their coronation in gambling. Seeing the Pandavas, Draupadi did Chhath fast. After this fast, all the wishes of Daupadri were fulfilled. Since then, the practice of observing this fast is going on.
According to tradition, the fasting of the Chhath festival can be observed by men and women equally. According to the mythology and folklore that propose the tradition of Chhath Puja and its importance, this festival is the festival of highest purity and purity.
Chhath Puja Vidhi: Method of Chhath Puja
- Karthik Shukla Shashthi is kept fast for the whole day.
- On this day, Vratis arrive at the nearby ghat with home-made dishes and worship materials.
- A large lamp is lit by making a reed house on the ghat.
- The devotees bathe in the ghat and the arghya is offered to the sun while staying in the water.
- After going home, meditating on the Sun God, the awakening is done overnight.
- In which songs of the sixth mother are sung.
- Reach the ghat before sunrise on the fourth and last day of fast i.e. on the day of Saptami.
- Keep dish baskets, coconuts and fruits with you during this time.
- Then burn the rising sun.
- Listen to the story of the sixth and share the offerings.
- Finally, open your fast by taking fasting offerings.
Chati Puja Katha: Story of Chhath Puja
There was a king named Priyavrat. His wife's name was Malini. They both had no children. The king and his wife were very unhappy with this. One day with the will of getting a baby he carried out a sonishti yajna by maharishi Kashyap on account of this yagna the queen turned pregnant 9 months later when the time got here to achieve little one happiness the queen acquired a useless son. The king felt very unhappy when he know about this. In child mourning, he made up his mind to commit suicide.But as like as a king tried to commit suicide, a goddess appeared before him. Devi told the king that I am Shashthi Devi. I offer people the good fortune of the son. Apart from this, I fulfill all the wishes of the person who worships me with true sentiment. If you worship me, I will give you the son's jewel. Impressed by Devi's words, the king obeyed her.
The king and his wife worshiped Goddess Shashthi on the day of Kartik Shukla on Shashthi Tithi with full law and order. As a result of this worship, he received a beautiful son. Since then, the holy festival of Chhath started being celebrated. According to a different legend within the context of chhath vrat when the Pandavas misplaced all their royalty in playing Draupadi saved chhath vrat with the impact of this quick his needs have been fulfilled and the Pandavas received the rajpat back.
