Chhath

Overview

Chhath is an ancient Hindu festival native to eastern India and southern Nepal. It is celebrated especially in the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, and in the Koshi, Gandaki, Bagmati, Lumbini and Madhesh provinces of Nepal. In major urban centres such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Janakpur and Kathmandu, members of the Indian and Nepali communities actively take part in the festival, preserving their cultural heritage. The festival is also observed by the diaspora in countries including the United States, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Mauritius, Japan and the United Kingdom.

During Chhath Puja, prayers are dedicated to the solar deity, Surya, to express gratitude for the blessings of life on Earth and to seek the fulfilment of personal wishes. The Hindu goddess Chhathi Maiya (also known as Chhathi Mata)—regarded in tradition as the sixth form of Prakriti and as Surya's sister—is also worshipped during the festival.

The festival is celebrated after Deepavali or Tihar, concluding on the sixth day of the lunar month of Kartika (October or November) in the Hindu calendar (Vikram Samvat). For this reason it is also referred to as 'Surya Shashti Vrata'. The rituals extend over three nights and four days.

Observances include holy bathing, fasting, abstaining from drinking water as a vrata (devotional vow), standing in water, and offering prasada (food offerings) and arghya to the rising and setting Sun. Some devotees also perform a prostration march as they proceed towards the riverbanks. All devotees prepare similar prasada and offerings, which is regarded as a distinctive feature of the festival.

References

• "Chhath", English Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chhath