This festival falls on the sixth day of the month of Kartik. The festival begins with a bath and a meal. During this, women observe Nirjala fast for 36 hours and worship Chhath Mayya and Surya.
In India, this festival is mostly observed in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand. Chhath Puja is celebrated for the happiness, prosperity, and long life of the children. According to the scriptures, Chhathi Maiya and Lord Surya were siblings. Chhath Puja 2022 celebration starts on 28th of Oct.
The four-day celebrations of #ChhathPuja begins today in different parts of the country with traditional Nahay Khay ceremony.
File Photo: pic.twitter.com/Htd55tNhI8
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) October 28, 2022
Legends Related To Chhath Puja
There are many legends that connect the day of Chhath Puja. One of them being of Draupadi and the Pandavas of Hastinapur. They used to observe this festival to solve their problems and win their Kingdom back from the enemies.
According to one more legend, this Puja was observed by Karna first, the son of Lord Surya and Kunti. He captured and ruled the Anga Desh, now Bhagalpur in Bihar during the era of Mahabharata.
According to another legend, Chhath Puja has been going on since the ancient times of the early Vedic period. The sages were said to perform the puja who exposed themselves to direct sunlight in order to gain energy and did not eat any vegetables.
One more legend that is added to this puja is that of Lord Krishna when he had asked Uttara to observe this fast and worship it. After the war of Mahabharata, the child born in the womb of Abhimanyu’s wife, Uttara, was dead. It was then that Lord Krishna asked her to observe Shashti fast (Chhath Puja) to save her child and this is the reason that Chhath Puja is done for the welfare of the kids.
Chhath Puja Rituals and Shubh Muhurata
Chhath Puja begins with taking a bath. This year, this day will be observed on November 8, 2021. Kharna, the second day of Chhath Puja, is on November 9. On this day women observe fast and eat kheer as prasad at night. The third day of Chhath Puja is Sandhya Arghaya. Sandhya Arghya will be observed on November 10. The festival will end at 8.25 am on November 11.
What to eat
On the first day of this festival, women keep fast and worship after taking a bath and wearing new clothes. After this, they take prasad of gram dal, pumpkin vegetables, and rice. Other members of the family eat food only after the fasting women consume the prasad.
The second day of Chhath puja
Kharna is held on the second day of Chhath Puja. On this day, women make a pudding of jaggery on a wooden stove and take it as prasad. After this, women observe a Nirjala fast of 36 hours. According to the legends, the sixth Maya arrives after Kharna Puja.
The third day of Chhath puja
On the third day of Chhath Puja, women observe a fast and make offerings of Chhath Puja during the day. In the evening, wearing new clothes, women go to the banks of the pond or river and worship with the family. Apart from this, they stand in a river or pond and offer Arghya to the setting sun. After the sun sets, women go to their homes.
End of Chhath puja
On the last day of Chhath Puja, women wake up early in the morning and go to the bank of the pond or river and do puja. Women offer Arghya at sunrise. After the Arghya, the fasting women circumambulate their place seven or eleven times. After this, women break their fast by giving prasad to each other. After this whole process, Chhath Puja comes to an end.
Cleaning of the Ganga Ghats
With the end of Durga Puja, the Urban Development and Housing Department has started preparations for Chhath Mahaparv. About 1400 river ghats and three thousand ponds will be prepared a week before Chhath.
In view of the great festival in the second week of November itself, the department has directed all the municipal bodies to prepare Ganga Ghat by Diwali. Along with this, the local ponds and puddles will also be thoroughly cleaned.
