What Is Chhath Puja?

Chhath Puja is one of the most ancient Hindu festivals, ever surviving on earth. Chhath Puja is referred to as the only Vedic festival celebrated in India. If you want to know about the interesting facts of Chhath Puja, read the article. 

Chhath Puja is observed for a period of four days during the month of Kartika. Chhat Puja ritual includes holy bathing, Vrat (fasts) and other holy severities. Chhath Puja is dedicated to Sun god, Surya. Devotees pay reverence to Lord Surya during Chhath Puja by bowing before the Sun. This is done to invoke the blessings of the much powerful Sun god. It is believed that Surya sustains life on earth. On Chhath Puja, Surya is expressed gratitude and he is worshiped for the fulfillment of certain desires. Chhath Puja is also known as Chhath Shashthi, Surya Shashti, Chhathi Maiya, and Chhath Parv.

Do you want to fill your life with positive energies? Yes, this is possible if you worship Lord Surya, the ultimate source of energy, during Chhath Puja

Surya is considered to be the source of energy, hence, He is believed to have magical powers of curating a person's negativity. As per the Hindu texts, Surya's energy is magnanimous. Therefore, Surya is believed to cure deadly diseases like leprosy, and increases a person's longevity. 

Chhath Puja is a major Hindu festival, which is mainly celebrated in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Eastern U.P., and some parts of Nepal. Chhat Puja is celebrated two times a year; one is during summers and other one in winters. The name of the festival symbolizes about its day of occurrence, as 'Chhath' refers to 'sixth'.

According to the Hindu Calendar, the first Chhath Puja of the year falls on the sixth day of the Chaitra month, after the festival of Holi. This Chhath Puja is also known as Chaiti Chhath (because of the Chaitra month) and Surya Puja.

The second Chhath Parva of the year falls on the sixth day of Kartika month, after the festival of Diwali. This Chhath Puja is also known as Kartiki Chhath. Kartiki Chhath is the major Chhath Puja, on which grand celebrations are observed by the people. Kartiki Chhath will again be celebrated by devotees with utmost faith and devotion.

People from different states call Chhath Puja with different names. These differences are because of the variations in their regional languages. Some of the names of Chhath Puja are as follows: Chhath Parva, Dala Chhath, Surya Shashti, Chhath Mahaparva, Dala Puja, Surya Puja and so on. Though the names of the festival are different, but the emotion of celebrating Chhath Puja is the same, which will again remain same during Surya Puja.

Chhat Puja is celebrated in the honor of Lord Surya, by paying reverence to the Sun. Chhath Parva (festival) is one of the most difficult Parva of Hindu religion. This festival continues up to 4 days and strict fast is observed by all the devotees. They observe Nirjala (without having water) Vrat (fast) for up to 2 days. All the devotees have to take special care while observing the fast of Chhath Puja.  
Significance Of Chhath Parva

Every year, Chhath Parva is celebrated in the honor of Lord Sun, the ultimate source of energy and life. It is a way to thank the Sun for his divine energies, that help in sustaining life on earth. That is why, Chhath Puja is also known as Surya Shashti.

Sun is the only Lord, who is directly visible to us. Lord Sun arrives daily to spread light, positivity, and life on earth. The rising and setting of Sun, both play a very important role in maintaining the cycle of life. Apart from providing the necessary energy for our survival, solar energy is also very beneficial for our health. It improves the activity of white blood cells. Sun is the only and great source of Vitamin D, which helps in strengthening of bones.

Performing the Surya Puja or Puja for Sun, greatly reduces the feelings of anger, ego, jealousy, and other negative feelings. The hymns and benefits of worshiping Lord Sun are also described in Rigveda.

Recite those hymns of Rig Veda and perform Puja with full dedication to attain the maximum benefits during Chhath Puja.

Legend of Chhath Puja

Let's now discuss the legend of Chhath Puja, which gives the actual reason for its occurrence and celebrations.

Legend Of Mahabharta

Draupadi, the wife of Pandavas was a great devotee of Lord Sun. She used to worship Sun with utmost faith and devotion. Because of this reason, she was also blessed with the divine powers of Sun that could treat the diseases like leprosy and skin problems. Draupadi started the tradition of Chhath Puja to honor Lord Sun.

Warrior Karna, the son of Lord Sun also used to perform Chhat Puja for honoring the powers of his father, Surya. Then, all the followers of Karna started performing Surya Puja for honoring Sun. This legend is also related to the time of Mahabharta.

Remember these legends, while celebrating Chhath Puja. Now we are sure, you wanted to know about the four auspicious days of Surya Puja that you will celebrate.

Four Auspicious Days Of Chhath Puja

Chhath Puja is a four-day long festival, with each day having a special significance. Know more about these special four days of Chhath Puja by reading about them in detail.

First Day (Nahai Khai): 'Nahai Khai' is the name given to the first day of Chhath Puja. The word 'Nahai' refers to bathing and 'Khai' refers to 'eating'. The devotees first take bath in the holy river such as Ganga, Yamuna, or many more. Then, they bring the holy water of river to their homes for preparing Prasad or sacred food for Lord Sun. People will again perform the rituals of Nahai Khai.

Second Day (Kharna): The second day of Chhath Puja is known as 'Kharna'. Devotees observe a whole day long fast without even having water, till late evening. They break their fast, after performing Puja and offering Prasad to Sun before sunset. This Prasad mainly includes Kheer (sweet rice porridge) and fruits.

Third Day (Sandhya Arghya): Third day of Chhath Puja is known as Sandhya Arghya. Whole day fasting is again observed by the devotees on the third day of Chhat Puja. Special preparations are done by the devotees for performing the evening ritual of 'Sandhya Arghya'. Special Arghya and offerings are presented to the setting Sun. These offerings include coconut, fruits, and flowers, which are presented on a bamboo tray. All the family members assemble on the bank of some holy river or pond and offer the special Arghya together.

Fourth Day (Parana): Fourth day of the festival is known as Usha Arghya or Parana day. The final morning ritual or Bihaniya Arghya is performed by the devotees. They all gather on the banks of holy river, along with their families and perform the rituals to receive the blessings of rising Sun. After performing the ritual, they break the fast by having ginger and sugar. This marks the end of the four-day long Maha Parva – Chhath Puja.

Chhath songs are sung by ladies while celebrating Surya Puja. Chhath songs from the areas of Bihar and Jharkhand are extremely popular. Chhath songs are considered to be a holy part of Chhath Puja.

Now, we hope that you have got to know about the rituals of the four special days of the Maha Parva - Chhath Puja. So, follow all the rituals and celebrate Chhath Puja with full enthusiasm and joy.

Rules & Regulations

Being one of the most difficult Parva of Hindu religion, strict rules and regulations are followed by the devotees. It is believed that a small mistake while performing the rituals of Chhath Puja is highly inauspicious. So, let's discuss about the rules and regulations of Chhath Puja, before celebrating Chhath Puja.

1. Fast of Chhath Puja should be performed by taking full care of cleanliness and purity.
2. All the works related to the performance of Chhath Puja should be performed by adult married women.
3. The ladies and gents of the family have to sleep on floor on the night of the main day of the festival.
4. The kitchen and all the utensils should be thoroughly cleaned before preparing the Prasad of Chhath Puja.
5. Temporary separate kitchen and utensils are also arranged especially for celebrating Chhat Puja.
6. There is a tradition of preparing Thekua (regional sweet dish) for celebrating the festival of Chhath Puja.
7. All the preparations for making Prasad should be done by adult married ladies.
8. All the adult married ladies have to follow certain rules such as they can't eat cooked food and can't wear stitched clothes.
9. Special attention is given to the children, so that they cannot produce any disturbances.

Follow these rules and celebrate the festival of Chhath Puja with full enthusiasm and joy. This auspicious festival helps in gaining the blessings of Lord Sun. He bless his devotees with immense power and strength.

Worship Lord Sun during Chhath Puja and be a part of his immense favor. Happy Chhath Puja 2014 to all the devotees!