CHHAT PUJA: BELIEF AND MYTHS
Chhat
puja is one of the most devotional and prominent festival celebrated in north
east India such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Nepal. It’s a festival of
purity, devotion and offering prayers to Sun God (Surya Dev), this festival is
celebrated for four days and also prayers devoted to Sun God for supporting
life on earth. Although it’s a festival of 36 hours continuous fasting, holy
bathing, meditation while standing in the water and offer praying to the
setting and rising sun. It’s celebrated at the sixth month of Karthika in the
Vikram Samvat. According to Hindu religion it is believed that worshiping Sun
God (Surya Dev) will keep the living on earth healed from several health conditions
and provides longevity, positivity and prosperity among all. One of the chhat puja
is also celebrated after the festival of Holi during summer time known as (Chaiti
Chhat) but it is believed that chhat celebrated during Karthika month has more
importance. As per Hindu mythology chhat
is associated from the time of Ramayan & Mahabharat, while returning to
Ayodhya Lord Ram and his wife Sita observed a fast in honor of Surya Dev which
is subsequently evolved in Chhat puja also if we talk about Mahabharata then it
is believed that character Karna the son of Kunti & Surya Dev, usually use
to offer prayer to his father Surya Dev while standing in the water not only
one character but another story mentions how Draupadi and Pandavas also
performed the same ritual to get back their Kingdom. In most of the Hindu
religion it is also believed that more than many aspects are related and
associated to chhat puja. Chhat Puja revolves around these four main days of Nahay-Khay(Day-1), Kharna(Day-2),
Sandhya-argh(Day-3) and at the end Bihaniya Argh(Day-4) . All the way every
festival has its own value and culture which represent the true beauty &
culture of India.
--Megha Gupta
Ye sirf ek bihar ka festival "tha" jise politically famous kiya jaa raha hai.
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