Is the Chhath Festival Celebrating the Sun God Underway in Bihar?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Chhath Festival is a four-day celebration honoring the Sun God.
- Rituals focus on purity, devotion, and self-control.
- Devotees prepare traditional sattvic meals without certain ingredients.
- Celebrated primarily in Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh.
- The festival culminates with offerings to the rising sun.
Patna, Oct 25 (NationPress) The magnificent four-day celebration of Chhath, a festival honoring the Sun God, commenced on Saturday with the sacred ritual of Nahay-Khaay.
Chhath Puja, which begins on the Chaturthi Tithi (fourth day) of the bright fortnight of the Kartik month, will conclude with offerings to the rising sun on the Saptami Tithi (October 28).
The key ritual of Sandhya Arghya (evening offerings to the setting sun) is scheduled for October 27, followed by Usha Arghya (morning offerings) the following day.
This festival is being observed with immense enthusiasm and reverence throughout Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh, and Nepal.
On Nahay-Khaay, worshippers purified themselves in holy rivers and water bodies, tidied their homes and kitchens, and pledged to uphold purity in thought, word, and deed.
They prepared a modest sattvic meal consisting of pumpkin curry, gram dal, and rice, cooked on clay stoves without onion, garlic, or regular salt - an emblematic act of both inner and outer purification.
Devotees hold the belief that the blessings of Chhathi Maiya commence on this day, leading to rituals conducted with the highest level of discipline and devotion.
Throughout the festival's four days, participants forgo non-vegetarian food, alcohol, and negative behaviors, reinforcing self-discipline and spiritual purification.
As per the Hindu calendar, the Shashti Tithi will commence at 6:04 a.m. on October 27 and conclude at 7:59 a.m. on October 28.
During this time, millions of worshippers will gather at riverbanks and ponds to present their prayers to the Sun God, a tradition that symbolizes gratitude towards nature, light, and life.
The ghats across Bihar are being adorned and illuminated in anticipation of the upcoming Sandhya and Usha Arghya, which represent the spiritual and visual peak of the festival.
The melodious sounds of Chhath songs, the lighting of lamps, and devotional aartis will transform the riverbanks into divine spectacles in the coming days.