Chhat Puja, Chhat Pooja Thursday 26 October 2017
कार्तिक मास के शुक्ल पक्ष के चतुर्थी से सप्तमी तिथि तक चलने वालाे चार दिन के पर्व छठ को मन्नतों का पर्व भी कहा जाता है. इसके महत्व का इसी बात से अंदाज़ा लगाया जा सकता है कि इसमें किसी गलती के लिए कोई जगह नहीं होती. इसलिए शुद्धता और सफाई के साथ तन और मन से भी इस पर्व में जबरदस्त शुद्धता का ख्याल रखा जाता है.
Chhath Puja is a celebration devoted to the Sun God, Surya and Chhathi Maiya, Usha (spouse of Surya). It is commended amid the period of Kartik (October-November) on the 6th day after Diwali mostly in the conditions of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal and Nepal. Customs traverse more than four days and lovers abandon sustenance and water. Chhath is for the most part described by riverside customs in which Sun God is worshipped, giving it the name of 'Suryasasthi.'
On the day before the festival of Chhath Puja, people gather on the banks of the River Ganges and freshen themselves. The Chhath Festival – Fasting is very popular. Before the beginning of the Chhath Puja, people fast throughout the day continuing it into the early evening.
The fast is followed by worship in the home. The whole family is fed with freshly reaped rice, puris, bananas, coconut and grapefruit. On the second day of the Chhath Puja a 24-hour fast is strictly observed, even water cannot be consumed. The senior women of the household cleanse all the cooking utensils which are necessary for the main part of celebrating Chhath Puja.
The participants go to the river bank with their offerings and pay homage to the Sun God. More celebrations take place with sunset and before sunrise the people get back to the river bank with the offerings to pray to the rising sun. This is considered as the focus of the ceremony. After prayers and bathing in the river, the fast is ended.
