Chhath is an ancient Hindu Festival and only Vedic
Festival dedicated to the Hindu Sun God, Surya and Chhathi
Maiya (ancient Vedic Goddess Usha).The Chhath Puja is
performed in order to thank Surya for sustaining life on earth and to request
the granting of certain wishes.
The Sun, considered the god of energy and of the life-force,
is worshiped during the Chhath festival to promote well-being, prosperity and
progress. In Hinduism, Sun worship is believed to help cure a variety of
diseases, including leprosy, and helps ensure the longevity and prosperity
of family members, friends, and elders.
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 (Vratta), standing in water for long periods of time, and
offering prashad (prayer offerings) and arghya to the setting and
rising sun.
Although it is observed most elaborately in Bihar,
Jharkhand, Eastern UP and the Terai regions of Nepal in
modern times, and is more prevalent in areas where migrants from those areas
have a presence, it is celebrated in all regions and major urban centers in
India. The festival is celebrated in the regions including but not exclusive to
the northeast region of India, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh, Gujarat, Delhi, Mumbai, Mauritius, Fiji,
Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, and Jamaica.
Date of Festival
Chhath puja is performed on Kartika Shukla Shashthi,
which is the sixth day of the month of Kartika in the Hindu
Calendar. This falls typically in the month of October or November in the
Gregorian Calendar.
It is also celebrated in the summer (March–April), on Chaitra Shashthi,
some days after Holi; this event is called Chaiti Chhath. The former
is more popular because winter is the usual festive season in North India, and
Chhath, being an arduous observance, requiring the worshipers to fast without
water for around 36 hours continuously, is easier to undertake in the Indian
winters.
It is believed that the Maga Purohits (modern days known as Shakya
Dwipi Brahmins) were invited by local kings for their expertise in Sun
worshiping. They started the tradition of Chhat Puja.
It is believed that the ritual of Chhath puja may even
predate the ancient Vedas texts, as the Rigveda contains
hymns worshiping the Sun god and describes similar rituals. The rituals also
find reference in the Sanskrit epic poem Mahābhārata in
which Draupadi is depicted as observing similar rites.
In the poem, Draupadi and the Pandavas, rulers of Indraprastha(modern
Delhi), performed the Chhath ritual on the advice of noble sage Dhaumya.
Through her worship of the Sun God, Draupadi was not only able to solve her
immediate problems, but also helped the Pandavas later regain their lost
kingdom.
It is also believed that Chhath was started by Karna,
the son of Surya (Surya Putra Karna). Surya Putra Karna ruled over the Anga
Desh (present day Bhagalpur district of Bihar) during the Mahabharat Age. He
was a great warrior and fought against the Pandavas in the Kurukshetra War.
Its yogic/scientific history dates back to the Vedic times.
The rishis of yore used this method to remain without any external
intake of food as they were able to obtain energy directly from the sun's rays.
This was done through the Chhath method.
It is also said that the Goddess that is worshipped during
the famous Chhath Puja is known as Chhathi Maiya. Chhathi Maiya is known
as Usha in the Vedas. She is believed to be the consort of Surya, the
sun god. Some scholars are of the view that she is only the beloved of Surya
and some suggest that she is Surya’s wife.
Usha is the term used to refer to dawn – The first
light of day. But in the Rig Veda she has more symbolic meaning. Symbolically
Usha is the dawn of divine consciousness in the individual aspirant. It is said
- Usha and Pratyusha, wives of Sun are the main source of Sun.
Both Usha and Pratyusha are worshiped along with Sun in
chhath parva. Usha (literally-the first morning sun-ray) is
worshipped on the last day and Pratyusha(the last sun-ray of day) is
worshipped in the evening by offering water or milk to the rising and setting
sun respectively.
During the Chhath Puja, Chhathi Maiya is invoked to bless us
with this divine consciousness which will help us to overcome all the troubles
in the world – this bless will help us to Moksha or liberation.
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