During the Chhath Puja, the Sun God, Surya, who represents vigor and life power, is worshipped to encourage well-being, prosperity, and advancement. Surya Shashti, Chhath, Chhathi, Chhath Parv, Dala Puja, and Dala Chhath are other names for Chhath Puja.
The Sun God, the source of all skills, is honored throughout the four-day celebration. The Vrati fast is observed by Sun God devotees. Twice a year, in the summer and the winter, Chhath Puja is observed.
On Kartika Shukla Shashti, the sixth day of the Karthika month, Karthik Chhath is observed. The Hindu calendar places this event in either October or November each year. The summer holiday Chaiti Chhath, which is observed a few days after Holi, is another.
There are rumors that Chhath Puja traditions are more stringent than those for other Hindu occasions. They entail a prolonged fasting period during which no food or liquids are consumed, swimming in rivers or other bodies of water, standing in the water while praying, spending a lot of time facing the sun, and offering “prasad” to the sun at sunrise and sunset. No food with salt, onions, or garlic will be prepared during the event.
It is observed throughout a four-day period. The first day is Nahay Khay, which includes a holy bath and a day of fasting. Women who are fasting are only allowed one meal each day. The food must be prepared at home. The second day is for Lohanda and Kharna, who must fast completely. It is broken after nightfall and with prasad. Kheer and chapati are two popular types of prasad. Following that, a 36-hour fast without water is required. Sandhya Arghya is the third day when prasad is cooked at home and presented to the river in the evening as the sun sets. Women attend this occasion dressed in turmeric-yellow sarees.
Usha Arghya, the festival’s final day, is marked by devotees giving offerings to the rising sun along the riverfront. The festival ends when the worshippers break their 36-hour fast on this day. Prasad is distributed to each member of the family. Prasad, a dish that is particularly important to this event, is created using rice, fresh fruits, dry fruits, wheat, jaggery, almonds, coconuts, and ghee. The wheat-flour biscuit called thekua is popular with everyone.
Now that you are aware of the traditions, let’s go into the history of Chhath Puja.
The Chhath Puja was originally done by Draupadi and the Pandavas to recapture their Kingdom and find solutions to their issues, according to Hindu mythology. According to different mythology, Chhath Puja was formerly performed by Karna, the son of Lord Surya and Kunti.
Additionally, it is said that in order to get the benefits of the sun’s rays and perform the Chhath puja, the yogis of the Vedic era used to expose themselves to direct sunlight.
Therefore in 2023, Chhath Puja is celebrated on Sunday, 19 November, and ends on Wednesday, 22 November.