Chhath

Chhath is an ancient Hindu festival, native to eastern India and southern Nepal. It is celebrated especially in the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Eastern Uttar Pradesh; and Koshi, Gandaki, Bagmati, Lumbini and Madhesh Provinces of Nepal. In major Indian and Nepalese urban centres like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kathmandu, etc., the diaspora actively participates in celebrating Chhath, preserving their cultural heritage. The festival is also celebrated by the diaspora in countries such as the United States, Australia, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Mauritius, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
During Chhath Puja, prayers are dedicated to the solar deity, Surya: to express gratitude for the blessings of life on Earth and to seek the fulfilment of personal wishes.
Chhathi Maiya (or Chhathi Mata), the sixth form of Prakriti and Surya's sister, is worshipped during the festival. It is celebrated for six days after Deepavali, or Tihar, till the sixth day of the lunar month of Kartika (October or November) in the Hindu calendar (Vikram Samvat), which is why it is called Surya Shashti Vrata. The rituals are observed over three nights and four days. They include holy bathing, fasting, and abstaining from drinking water (as a vrata), standing in water, and offering prasada (prayer offerings) and arghya to the rising and setting of the Sun. Some devotees also perform a prostration march as they head towards the riverbanks. All devotees prepare similar prasada (religious food) and offerings.
Environmentalists have claimed that the festival of Chhath is one of the most eco-friendly religious festivals. Although the festival is observed most widely in Nepal and some Indian states, it is also prevalent in areas where the diaspora and migration from those areas have a presence.
Chhath puja is dedicated to the Sun God Surya, as it is thought that the sun is visible to every being and is the basis of life of all creatures on Earth. Along with the Sun God, Chhathi Maiya is also worshipped on this day. According to Vedic astrology, Chhathi Maiya (or Chhathi Mata) grants children long life and good health by shielding them from illnesses and diseases.
Chhath Puja is a folk festival that lasts four days. It starts with Kartik Shukla Chaturthi and ends with Kartik Shukla Saptami. Chhath is celebrated twice in a year.
This is the first day of Chhath Puja. The Parvaitin (transl. devotees, from Sanskrit parva, meaning "occasion" or "festival") must take a holy bath, after which the entire house, its surroundings, and pathways to the ghat are thoroughly cleaned. The Parvaitin usually cooks Sattvik Lauka Bhaat (bottle gourd and Bengal gram lentil preparation with Arva rice bhaat). This preparation is served to the deity in the afternoon as Bhog. This initiates the Parv (festival) and it is the last meal of the Parvaitin during Chhath Puja. The food is then eaten to protect the mind from thoughts of vengeance.
Kharna, also known as Rasiaav-Roti or Lohanda, is the second day of Chhath Puja. On this day, the devotees do not drink even a single drop of water as an offer to worship God. In the evening, they eat gur ke kheer (Kheer made up of jaggery), called Rasiaav, together with Roti.
This day is spent by preparing the prasada (offerings) at home, often consisting of a bamboo basket decorated with fruits, Thekua and rice laddus. On the evening of this day, the entire household accompanies the devotee to a riverbank, pond, or other large body of water to make the Arghya offerings to the setting sun. This occasion resembles a carnival in many ways. Besides the devotees and their friends and family, numerous participants and onlookers will help and receive the blessings of the worshipper.
At the time of arghya, Gangajal water is offered to Surya (Sun God) and the Chhathi Maiya is worshipped with the prasada. After the worship of Sun God, Chhath songs are sung in the night and the Vrat katha is read.
After returning home, the devotees perform the ritual of kosi bharai together with other family members. They take 5 to 7 sugarcanes and tie them together to form a Mandap and beneath the shade of that Mandap, 12 to 24 Diya lamps are burnt and thekua and other seasonal fruits are offered. The same ritual is repeated the next morning between 3 am and 4 am, and afterward, the devotees offer arghya or other offerings to the rising sun.
On the last day of Chhath Puja, at dawn, worshippers travel to the riverbank to offer an arghya to the rising sun. After making this holy offering, parents pray to Chhatti Maiya for their child's protection as well as the happiness and peace of their whole family. After worship, followers participate in the Paran or Parana rite, breaking their fast with a small amount of prasada and water. This rite emphasises the connection between family well-being and divine favours, serving as a symbol of thanksgiving and spiritual closure.
The main worshippers, called parvaitin (from Sanskrit parv, meaning "occasion" or "festival"), are usually women. However, men also observe this festival as Chhath is not a gender-specific festival. The parvaitin pray for the well-being of their family, and for the prosperity of their children.
In some communities, once a family member starts performing Chhath Puja, they are duty-bound to perform it every year and to pass it on to the following generations. The festival is skipped only if there is a death in the family that year. If the person stops performing the ritual on any particular year, it stops permanently and one cannot resume it. In other communities, this is not mandatory. The prasada offerings include Thekua, Khajuria, Tikri, Kasar and fruits (mainly sugar canes, sweet lime, coconut, banana and many seasonal fruits) offered in small bamboo baskets. The food is strictly vegetarian and is cooked without salt, onions or garlic. Emphasis is on maintaining the purity of the food.
In Champaran, Bihar and Madhesh Province, Nepal, it is a belief that after leaving Ayodhya, Sita stayed in Valmiki Ashram located on the edge of Narayani River in Chitwan district. During that time she celebrated Chhath Mahaparva in Nepal. Even today, people celebrate Chhath festival with great pomp at Luv-Kush Ghat on the banks of Gandaki river located in Indo-Nepal border.
The Chhathi Maiya is worshipped on the Chhath festival, which is also mentioned in the Brahma Vaivarta Purana. It is said that the Chhath Puja was started in the holy city of Varanasi by Gahadavala dynasty. According to the Kashi Khanda, after Banaras the trend of Chhath Puja started increasing in the country.
It is also believed that, there was an ashram of the rishi Kashyapa and Aditi in the Buxar region. Mata Aditi gave birth to Surya as a son on the sixth day of Kartika. Surya is also called Aditya because he is the son of Aditi. For this reason, Chhath Puja is celebrated as the birth anniversary of Surya and the month of Kartika is considered a holy month throughout the year.
In Munger region, the festival is known for its association with Sita Manpatthar (Sita Charan; lit. Sita's footsteps). Sitacharan temple, situated on a boulder in the middle of the Ganges in Munger, is the main center of public faith regarding Chhath festival. It is believed that goddess Sita performed Chhath festival in Munger. That is why Chhath Mahaparva is celebrated with great pomp in Munger.
According to another legend, King Priyavrata, son of first Manu Svayambhu, was unhappy because he had no children. To remedy this, Kashyapa asked him to do a yajna. Shortly after, a son was born to Queen Malini; however, the baby was born dead. Following the stillbirth, the king and his family were heartbroken. Finding sympathy for the royal family, Mata Shashthi revealed herself in the sky. When the king prayed to her, she spoke, saying: "I am Chhathi Maiya the sixth form of Prakriti. 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 to Ayodhya, people celebrated Deepavali, and on its sixth day Ramarajya (lit. Kingdom of Rama) was established. On this day Rama and Sita fasted, and Surya Shashthi/Chhath Puja was performed by Sita. Hence, she was blessed with Lava and Kusha as sons.
While in the Mahabharata, Chhath Puja was performed by Kunti after she (and the Pandavas) escaped from Lakshagriha. It is also believed that Karna, the son of Surya and Kunti, was conceived after Kunti performed Chhath Puja. Draupadi is also said to have performed the Puja for the Pandavas to win the Kurukshetra War. It is believed that Draupadi performed Chhath Puja near a spring in Nagdi village of Ranchi. In this village, Chhath Vratis neither offers Arghya in the river nor in the pond. Chhath Puja is performed near that spring in Nagdi.