Chhath Puja 2024- Honouring Surya Dev And Goddess Usha

Chhath Puja is a significant Hindu Vedic festival widely celebrated in India and Nepal. The festival is dedicated to Surya and Chhathi Maiya (Maa Shashti or Usha), the younger wife of Sun.

The festival is celebrated to express gratitude to the Sun God and Goddess Usha, the main sources sustaining all life on our planet.

It is a four-day festival commemorated twice a year, one during summer and the other during winter. Only Satwik food is allowed, and non-vegetarian food is strictly prohibited during this four-day festival.

What does Chhath Puja mean?

Chhath Puja is the longest and most important festival of Hindus. The festival is celebrated after Navratri and extends for four days.

According to the Hindu lunisolar Bikram Sambat calendar, this auspicious festival is celebrated on the 6th day of Kartikeya (October–November), which is why the festival is named Chhath Puja. Chhath is a Prakrit descendant of the Sanskrit word "Shashti”, meaning "sixth".

When is Chhath Puja 2024 celebrated?

Chhath Puja is one of the significant festivals celebrated in India in reverence for Lord Surya Dev. This festival is celebrated twice a year, once during summer and once during winter.

During the winter season, the Chhath that is celebrated is called Kartik Chhath, as it falls on the 6th day of the month of Kartik (October–November), which is known as Kartik Shukla Shashti according to the Hindu calendar.

In summer, Chhath Puja is observed a few days after Holi, known as Chaiti Chhath. This year Chhath Puja falls between on 5th-8th November 2024.

What is the importance of Chhath Puja?

The deep-rooted origin of the Chhath festival dates back to ancient times; since then, Chhath Puja has been of immense significance. In this festival, people pray to the Sun for a bountiful harvest believing that worshipping the Sun will keep you away from all illness.

People worship the sun to express their gratitude and thanks for providing the warmth and light that is necessary for life on Earth. The rituals of Chhath Puja are performed, especially at the time of sunrise and sunset, by standing on the river bank.

This is because, at this time, the ultraviolet rays are reduced, and it clears the negative energies from mind, body and soul and eliminates harmful bacteria and viruses from the body.

How is Chhath Puja celebrated?

The festival lasts for four days, and both men and women fast, particularly women, undertake a rigorous 36-hour-long Vrati (fast) and are called 'Parvaitin'. The first day is called Nahaay Khay, where people clean their houses and take a holy bath.

Then a Satwik meal is prepared, including a bottle gourd (lauki) and Bengal gram Lentils (chana dal), served with rice as Prasad or Bhog to the diety. Later, the worshipers consume the prasad and commence their fast for the Chhath Puja.

The second day is called Rasiaav-Roti or Lohanda, also known as Kharna. On this day, fasting people are prohibited from drinking water. They can only consume kheer made of jaggery and roti in the evening. 

The third day is called Sanjhka Aragh, where people prepare Prasad or Bhog for the Surya Dev throughout the day and later offer the Sun God as Arghya. The prasad includes Thekua, Khajuria, Tikri, fruits, coconut, and Banana.

People go to the banks of rivers or ponds to offer Arghya to the sun. The fourth day, Bhorka Arghya, is the same as the third day, except that the Arghya is offered during sunrise, and then the 36-hour-long fast is broken.

Where is Chhath Puja celebrated?

Chhath Puja is prominently celebrated in northern, southern and central urban centres of India and in Nepal. But this festival is celebrated ornately in Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Bangalore and Madhya Pradesh.

Besides this, Hindu people outside India, including Mauritius, Fiji, Trinidad etc., also celebrate Chhath Puja with unwavering devotion.

Conclusion

Chhath Puja is a significant Hindu Vedic festival widely celebrated in Bihar, Jharkhand and certain regions of Nepal. The festival involves the devout worship of Surya Dev and Chhathi Maiya (Goddess Shashti).

As per the Hindu calendar, Chhath Puja is celebrated twice a year, once in the month of March-April and again in the month of October-November. 

In October-November, the festival is celebrated after the 6th day of Diwali. Women adhere to Nirjala Vrat during Chhath Puja and celebrate the festival with fun and enthusiasm by singing folk songs and preparing various traditional dishes.

This is all about Chhath Puja. We wish you a very Happy Chhath Puja. May Chhathi Maiya bless you with good health and prosperity. If you have any queries or thoughts, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We appreciate our reader's valuable comments. 

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