Chath Puja in 2013: Imbibe the Energy of Sun

Chhath Puja 2013 will be celebrated on 8th November 2013. The festival of Chhath Puja is very famous especially in the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Chhath Puja holds great significance for the people of these states. Chhath Puja is a pooja performed in the name of the God of energy, the Sun. People worship Sun, also called Suryadevta, with all the devotion. It is celebrated on the Kartika Shukla Shashti. This is a four day festival and is celebrated with a lot of fervour.

Legends behind the celebration of Chhath Puja

There are many legends related to the celebration of Chhath Puja. Some of the beliefs are mentioned as below:

• It is said that in the era, when the kings ruled, the kings called old Purohits to worship Sun or the Surya Devta, as these Purohits were very proficient in worshipping the Sun. The kings wanted Surya Devta (Sun God) to bestow on them and their kingdom, its energy and strength. From then onwards, this worship was performed every year on the Kartika Shukla Shashti. People also started performing this puja under the name of Chath Puja in order to invoke the blessings of Surya Devta
• Some people also believe that the Chhath Puja was first performed by Karna. Karna was the son of Sun. He existed in the Mahabharata period. Karna, a great warrior, also battled against the Pandavas in Kurukshetra war. One of the reasons of this festival being celebrated widely in Bihar is Karna, as he was a great King of Anga Desh, which is today, termed as Bhagalpur district and is located in Bihar.
• It is also revealed by few mythologists that existence of Chhath Puja can also be seen in Vedas. The Rigveda contains some chants, which are dedicated to Surya Devta.
• It is also believed that Draupadi or Panchali, the wife of Pandavas in Mahabharata period, also performed these rituals of Chath Puja and got rid-off many of her problems immediately. This pooja was so powerful that it also proved to be fruitful for her husbands, as it helped them to achieve back their lost kingdom.

Rituals performed on Chatth Pooja

Chath Puja is a four day festival. It is celebrated on the sixth day of the Kartika month of the Hindu lunar calendar and that is why it is called Chath puja as the word chath means six in Hindi.

It is a festival on which people fast, pray and take holy dips in water. The devotees are called Parvatain. The time of rising and setting of sun is the most significant.

The following are the rituals performed by the devotees of Sun:

The first day of Chath Puja

The first day is called Nahaye Khaaye. People take sacred dips in water. If possible, it is the best if one takes dip in the sanctified water of river Ganga. The food to be eaten is called Kaddu Bhaat (pumpkin and rice). Bhaat means rice and this is non-boiled rice prepared with pumpkin (kaddu) and also chana dal. And this dish is cooked on the traditional earthen stove and mango wood is used as fuel.

The second day of Chath Puja

This day is called Kharna and Lohanda. People worship earth on this day. Fast is observed and people break this fast only in the evening after sunset with the delicacies like poori and rice kheer (rasaiyo kheer) made of jaggery and not sugar. After this, the devotees or the Parvatain again go on a fast of 36 hours. This is a very strict fast as it prohibits the intake of water as well.

The third day of Chath Puja

The third day is called Chatth and it is the most important day. People wake up early, take bath and observe fast and they prepare the prasada. In the evening the whole family of the devotee accompanies him/her to the nearby water body, where the devotee offers the prasada to the Surya Devta just before the sunset. It is a very big day and is celebrated spectacularly. People sing and dance cheerfully. Kosi is a very popular event held on this day, especially in the households where marriage has taken place recently.

The fourth Day of Chath Puja

The last day is called Paarun. Devotees offer Aragh (prasada or offerings of Chhath Puja) to Surya Devta at the riverbank before sunrise. Then people visit these devotees to take this prasada. The Chhath Pujas Prasad is considered so fruitful that people whether rich or poor visit the ghaats (riverbanks), where the Chath Puja is performed in order to have this Prasada. Goddess Ganga or Ganga maiyya is also worshipped on this day.

Significance of Chhath Puja

Chatth Pooja gives people immense satisfaction. The fast observed leads to cleanliness of body and soul. It helps in detoxification. The holy dips make people to experience and know about their inner self. This makes them feel good spiritually and mentally. The body absorbs the energy of the sun and helps the people to experience an immense strength in their body. This solar energy absorbed by the body results into better eyesight, glowing skin and also a slow ageing process.

We hope that you have enjoyed reading this article on Chhath Puja. A very happy Chhath Puja to all of you. May God Bless All!