Surya/Chatth Puja
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An ancient Hindu festival, dedicated to Lord Surya and ChhathiMaiya (known to be the sister of Surya), Chhath Puja is unique to the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Eastern Uttar Pradesh and the country of Nepal. It is the only Vedic festival that is dedicated to the Sun God, who is supposed to be the source of all powers and ChhathiMaiya (another name for Goddess Usha from the Vedic period). The god of light, energy and life force is worshipped in order to promote well being, development and the prosperity of human beings. Through this festival, people aim towards thanking the Sun God for a period of four days.
The devotees who observe the fast during this festival are called Vrati.Traditionally, this festival is celebrated twice a year, once in the summers and the second time during the winters. The Karthik Chhath is celebrated during the month of October or November and it is performed on Kartika Shukla Shashti which is the sixth day of the month of Karthika according to the Hindu Calendar. Commemorated on the 6th Day after Diwali, another major Hindu festival, it generally falls during the month of October-November.
The meaning of the word Chhath is six in Nepali or Hindi Language and as this festival is celebrated on the sixth day of the month of Karthika, the festival is named the same.
Why is Chhath Puja celebrated?
There are many stories that date back to the origin of Chhath Puja. It is assumed that in the ancient times, Chhath Puja was celebrated by Draupadi and the Pandavas of Hastinapur in order to solve their problems and regain their lost kingdom. The mantras from the Rig Veda texts are chanted while worshipping the sun. As the story goes by, this Puja was first started by Surya Putra Karna who ruled over the AngaDesh (Bhagalpur in Bihar) during the age of Mahabharata. The scientific history or rather the yogic history dates back to the Early Vedic Period. Legend says that the sages and rishis of that era used this method in order to restrain from any external means of food and gain energy directly from the rays of the sun.
The Rituals of Chhath Puja
ChhathiMaiya, commonly known as Usha is the goddess worshipped in this Puja. The Chhath festival involves several rituals, which are considerably harsher as compared to other Hindu festivals. These usually involve taking dips in rivers or water bodies, strict fasting (one can’t even drink water in the entire process of fasting), standing and offering prayers in water, facing the sun for long periods and also offering prashad to the sun at sunrise and sunset.
Food During Chhath Puja
The Chhath Prasad is traditionally prepared with rice, wheat, dry fruits, fresh fruits, nuts, jaggery, coconut and lots and lots of ghee. One important thing regarding the meals prepared during Chhath is that they are prepared completely without salt, onion and garlic.
Thekua, Chhath Puja
Thekua is a special part of the Chhath Puja and it is basically a cookie made with whole wheat flour which you must surely try if you visit the place during the festival.
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