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| women performing Chhath Puja (image provided by Gemini) |
What is Chhath
Chhath Puja is a ritual observed by women on the sixth day after Deepavali. It is also known as Surya Shashti. Surya Shasthi means the sixth-day ritual observed in veneration of the Sun God.
Chhath Puja is actually a 4-day-long ritual, observed strictly by the devotees. The main Puja is done on the third day without taking any food.
People worship the Sun God along with his consort, known as Chhathi Maiya, by fasting and bathing in rivers or nearby water bodies. The sun is the God of Energy, light, heat, and is the source of life on Earth. So, it is a form of gratitude and devotion shown to Him through fasting and worship.
The four parts of the worship are given the following names and are done on four consecutive days/tithis.
The Four Tithis and parts of the worship are:
Kartika Shukla Chaturthi Tithi: Nahaay-Khaay (Bathe and Eat)
Kartika Shukla Panchami Tithi: Lohanda-Kharna (Lohanda is a deep iron bowl or pan in which food is cooked. Kharna refers to strictness and purity. It is a kind of tool used to prepare the body for the next stage of a 36-hour fast)
Kartika Shukla Shashti Tithi: Sandhya Arghya
Kartika Shukla Saptami Tithi: Suryodaya and Usha Arghya
How to Do Chhath Puja
As mentioned earlier, there are four stages in the Chhath Puja ritual. I am discussing them one by one.
Day One- Nahaay-Khaay
The devotees wake up early in the morning, clean their homes and surroundings, and take a holy bath. They wear clean and pure clothes. The home and the puja area should be consecrated with Ganga jal or water purified by reciting the slokam "gangEcha, yamunEchhaiva, gOdaavari, saraswati. narmada sindhu kAvEri jalsmin sannidhim kuru." Then, a vegetarian meal is prepared with rice. Bengal gram lentils, and green vegetables such as bottle gourd. This food is cooked in Ghee and water, and offered to the deity (Sun) in the afternoon as Naivedyam. It is then consumed by the devotee performing the ritual as the sole meal for the day.
Day Two- Lohanda/Kharna
On the second day, after taking a bath, some devotees may abstain from drinking water as an austerity before consuming the prasadam. A sweet food known as Rasiyav or Kheer is prepared as naivedyam for the God. It is cooked in a pot made of tin. The ingredients for rasia are rice, milk, and jaggery. This food is offered to Surya Bhagawan in the evening and thereafter consumed with rotis. After this food, most devotees prefer to observe a 36-hour fast, even foregoing water. If you can't go without water, you may drink it or any fruit juices.
Day Three- Sandhya Arghya and Kosi Bharai
The third is the most important part of this ritual. After taking the holy bath, the entire day is spent in worship, bhajan kirtans, and preparing food for the evening offering. It is a way of distracting the mind from stress and strain caused by the fasting done by devotees.
It is better to invite people from your neighbourhood to participate in these rituals. Performing the rituals as a group is the best way to uplift your spirits. It could be a shared happiness and satisfaction.
The main receipes cooked for the offering are thekua or khajuria sweets/cookies, rice laddus known as kasar, puri, etc. These varieties are cooked wearing pure clothes, and employing pure ingredients.
In the evening, the devotees carry these food items in the baskets to a riverbed nearby or any waterbody. Arghyam is offered to the Sun, before sunset, along with his consort Sandhya Devi (also known as the Chhathi Maiya). You may offer Ganga jal if available, or collect the water from the riverbeds and pour it down facing the Sun, uttering chants. Offer flowers, dhoop, and aarti. Thereafter, offer the food items as Naivedyam.
After the arghyam is done, return to your home and worship your deity. A ritual known as Kosi Bharai is performed. A sacred open space is decorated by erecting a canopy supported by sugar canes to form a mandap. Under this mandap, 12 to 24 oil lamps are lighted. A clay elephant, an earthen pot, and fruits are placed to create an atmosphere of sacred ambience. Offerings of food and fruits are made to those lamps. The participants listen to the vrat katha (the story of the Chhath ritual performed by angels and other epic personalities) and sing Chhath songs throughout the entire night, maintaining a complete fast for more than 30 hours.
Day Four - Usha Arghya and Chhath Samaapan
On the fourth day of the ritual, the devotees go to the river banks by 4 AM, take a bath, and offer the Arghya to the rising sun. The sun may not be visible, but you will witness the purple/red skies and offer the arghya along with fruits and other offerings. They sing the Chhathi Maiya songs and conclude the ritual by eating food.
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