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#Chhath Puja -Araghya to Sun God#

By vermavkv on October 30, 2022 • ( 54 )

Dear friends…

Today I am going to tell you something about our favorite festival, “Chhath Puja” which is being celebrated from 28^th Oct to 31 ^st Oct 2022.

Chhath Puja is the most important festival for us. Doesn’t matter where I am in the world but I always come home during this time to attend Chhath Puja and all my family members come together to enjoy this Puja every year for four days.

Chhath Puja, also known as Sun Shashthi is celebrated on Kartik Shukla Shashthi. This festival is celebrated 6 days after Diwali and is mainly celebrated in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand with great fanfare.

On Chhath Puja, worshiping Sun God and Chhathi Maiya helps you gain health, wealth, and happiness. In the last few years, Chhath Pooja has gotten a special significance as a folk festival. This is the reason why the festival is celebrated with great pomp and show.

But due to some unavoidable circumstances, I am not at my native place this year and deprive of the enjoyment of this festival.

Chhath Puja starts on the Chaturthi of Shukla paksha and is celebrated till Saptami tithi.

It is a four days celebration that starts with “NAHAY KHAYA “ and ends with “USHA ARAGHYA “ which is the last day of the chhath puja on 31st Oct 2022. On this day Vratis eat satvik food.

Day 1: Nahay Khay Date: 28^th Oct 2022.

This is the first day of Chhath Puja. Nahay Khay means that women/men (Vratis) take a dip in the river Ganga or any other holy river/water body. After bathing, the house is cleaned and simple vegetarian food is eaten to protect the mind from the vengeful tendency.

Day 2 : Kharna ..Date: 29^th Oct 2022.

Kharna is the second day of Chhath Puja. On Kharna, the vratis fast for the whole day. On this day, the devotees celebrate “KHARNA” by observing NIRJALA VRAT, ( Fasting without drinking even a drop of water) from sunrise to sunset, they break their fast only after offering prayer to the Sun God.

In the evening, women prepare KHEER as Prasada, they usually eat “gur ki kheer” (jaggery kheer), fruits, and chapati full of ghee..

Day 3 : Chhath Puja : 30^th Oct 2022.

On the third day of Chhath puja, an arghya is offered to the sun god during the Kartik Shukla Shashthi. In the evening, a bamboo basket is decorated with fruits, thekua, and rice laddus, after which devotees offer an arghya to the sun with their families.

At the time of Arghya, water and milk are offered to Sun God and the Chhathi Maiya is worshiped from a soop filled with prasad.

After the worship of the Sun God, Shashthi Devi songs are sung in the night and the vrat Katha is heard.

This is a very important day for us, In the morning we usually prepare THEKUA and RICE LADDU with the help of all family members,

Day 4 : Usha Arghya : 31st Oct 2022

On the last day of Chhath puja in the morning, an arghya is offered to the Sun God. On this day, before sunrise, the devotees have to go to the riverbank to offer an arghya to the rising sun.

After this, the vratis ask Chhathi Maiya for the safety and prosperity of all the family members and the happiness of the entire family. After worship, devotees drink sharbat and raw milk and eat a little Prasada in order to break one’s fast which is called Parana.

After that, we all receive Prasada from the devotee and enjoy the tasty Thekua, and Rice laddu.. these Prasada has to be distributed to all friends and relatives. Really it is all memorable events but today I was deprived of that enthusiasm as I am away from my native place.

Long live the tradition of Hindu culture. As the generations have passed by, Hindu culture is getting stronger and stronger.

Let’s keep it up …Best wishes for CHHATH PUJA…