Chhath | History, Story, Facts, Information

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Apr 2

The Chhath Puja is dedicated to the Sun and his wives Usha and Sangya or Sandhya in order to thank them for bestowing the bounties of life on earth and to request the granting of certain wishes. Chhath does not involve any idol worship. Chhath is an ancient Hindu festival historically native to the Indian subcontinent, more specifically, the Indian states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and the Nepalese provinces of Madhesh and Lumbini.

It is believed that Chhath Puja was also performed by Karna, the son of Lord Surya and the king of Anga Desh, which is the modern-day Bhagalpur in Bihar. According to another legend, Pandavas and Draupadi also performed the Puja to overcome obstacles in their lives and reclaim their lost kingdom. For the people of Bihar and other close by areas, Chhath Puja is considered as Mahaparva.

While in the Mahabharata, Chhath Puja was performed by Kunti after they escaped from Lakshagriha. It is also believed that Karna, the son of Surya and Kunti, was conceived after Kunti performed Chhath puja. It is also said, Draupadi performed the Puja for Pandavas to win the Kurukshetra War.

According to some other legend, King Priyavrat, son of First Manu Swayambhu, was very sad because he had no children. 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. The king and his family were very sad because of this. Then Mata Shashthi revealed herself in the sky. When the king prayed to her, she spoke, I am Chhathi Maiya the Sixth form of Devi Parvati. I protect all the children of the world and give the blessings of children to all childless parents. After this, the Goddess blessed the lifeless child with her hands, so that he came to life. The king was very thankful for the grace of the Goddess, and he worshipped the goddess Shashthi Devi. It is believed that after this puja, this festival became a worldwide celebration.

Chhath has been mentioned in both the major Indian epics. In Ramayana, when Rama and Sita returned Ayodhya, people celebrated Deepawali, and on its sixth day Ramrajya or Kingdom of Rama was established. On this day Rama and Sita kept fast and Surya Shashthi or Chhath Puja was performed by Sita. Hence, she was blessed with Lava and Kush as their sons.

According to the poem, Draupadi and Pandavas-the rulers of Indraprastha that is today's Delhi, performed the rituals of Chhath Puja on the recommendation of noble sage Dhaumya. Through the adulation of Lord Surya or Sun, Draupadi not just came out of all her troubles, but also helped the Pandavas regain their lost kingdom later.

Another history reflecting the significance of Chhath Puja is the story of Lord Rama. It is believed that Lord Rama & Mata Sita had fasted together and offered puja to the Lord Surya in the month of Kartik in between October and December in Shukla Paksha during their coronation after returning to Ayodhya from an exile of 14 years. Since then, Chhath Puja became the important and traditional festival in the Hindu religion. It started celebrating every year in the same month on the same date by people in the Hindu religion.

The rituals of the festival are rigorous and are observed over a period of four days. They include holy bathing, fasting and abstaining from drinking water or Vratta, standing in water for long periods of time, and offering prasad and Arghya to the setting and rising sun. Some devotees also perform a prostration march as they head for the riverbanks.

The Goddess who is worshipped during the famous Chhath Puja is known as Chhaith, Chhath Parva, Chhath Puja, Dala Chhath, Dala Puja, Surya Shashthi, considered as a Mahaparv or great festival. Chhathi Maiya is known as Usha in the Vedas. She is believed to be the beloved younger wife of Surya, the sun god. In Mithilanchal region she is also worshipped as Rana Mai.

This is the only festival which signifies both the rising and setting sun. The most unique feature about the Chhath Puja is the main idea behind it which is above the disputed concept of Murti Puja or Idol Worshipping unlike most of the festivals of the Hindu religion.

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