Randhan Chhath 2011

By Kavita Srivastava

Randhan Chhath 2011 date is August 20. Randhan Chhath is a divine ritual observed in Gujarat in Shravan month (July -August) according to English calendar. It is observed on the sixth day of the Krishna Paksha (waning phase of moon) in Sawan. The day is meant for preparing food (randhan) for the next day, which is Shitala Satam.These two days are considered very auspicious for married women.

Randhan Chhath is a festival that is primarily dedicated to goddess Sheetala. Randhan Chhath is not a ritual but is a preparation day for the Shitala Satam day. No food is cooked on Shitala Satam, people eat only what is prepared on Randan Chat.Food items that are prepared on Randhan Chath are those that will stay for 24-hours.The food generally includes the full gujrati dinner (i.e. rice, rotli, daar, sakh).All women in the family participate in the cooking. Some people opt for spicy and fried food.After the cooking is over on Randan Chat, the earthen hearth is cleaned using cow dung. The ash remains in the hearth.

As there is no cast-iron norms written anywhere about the eatable items that one could have on that day so some people go for spicy food some go for fried food. Thus, these delicious dishes add flavour to this different and unique festival. All women in the family, with a lot of contentment and enthusiasm, engage in cooking on this auspicious festival of Randhan Chhath.

Legend behind the Randhan Chhath

The popular legend behind the Randhan Chhath is that, on the Sheetala Satam Goddess Sheetla visits the kitchen of every household and if she watches the Randhan Chhath cooking in a womans kitchen on that day then, she curses the food and that family. Due to this popular belief there is restriction on cooking food on the Sheetala Satam day. Thus, in a way, Randhan Chhath is a preparation day for the Sheetala Satam festival.People often prepare, on this day, majorly the food items; those could remain fresh for at least an entire day .Observing these two days grants women with good luck for their married life, luck for their children and luck to obtain wealth and happiness.