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Chhath puja ends with reverence to Surya Dev

News Desk - October 25, 2009

PATNA — The four-day Chhath festival ended Sunday in Bihar with millions of devotees, mostly women, taking a dip in the Ganga river and praying to the rising sun. The devotees also ended their 36-hour long fast by offering prayers and floating lighted earthen lamps in the river. They sang folk songs and offered prayers to the sun god.

“Hundreds of thousands of people gathered on the banks of Ganga, other rivers, ponds and other water bodies across Bihar early (Sunday) morning to offer ‘Araghya’ to the rising sun to mark the end of Chhath puja,” said Savitri Devi, a devotee.

Another devotee Purnima Yadav said the devout were waiting for sunrise and sang traditional songs in groups. At the break of dawn, they offered ritual and prayers for divine blessings. She said devotees had offered prayers to the setting sun Saturday.

The offerings comprising fruits, home-made sweets like thekuas, pedas, pakwan, chawal ke laddoo, raw vegetables and the first crop from the fields were also distributed. All these sweets and offerings were arranged in scoops, baskets and trays made of bamboo.

Sun, considered the god of energy and life-force, is worshipped during Chhath for well-being, prosperity and progress.

A rare show of brotherhood and harmony was on display during the festival when people cutting across social barriers gathered to celebrate Chhath in villages and towns. Roads and river banks had been cleaned and decorated for the occasion.

The four-day long Chhath festival began Thursday when devotees took a dip in the rivers, a tradition known as ‘nahai khai’. It was followed by the ritual of ‘kharna’ Friday when sweet dishes were prepared. Much to the relief of the authorities, the festival passed off peacefully across the state.

The festival, once limited to Bihar, is fast becoming popular global festival, due to Bihari community’s love for their motherland and traditions.

- AGENCIES

4 Responses to “Chhath puja ends with reverence to Surya Dev”

oahm maha chhatimaiya ch vidyamahe surya pattanyai ch dhimahei
tanyeo chhati prachodyatt.
kartik shukala pakshe shashti. sixth day after Diwali
and chait krishna pakshe shashti, sixth day after holi
why sixth day? because
in astrology 6th house represents illness,sickness, weakness,
to fight against these illness sickness weakness we need strong energy , and energy ,we will get from god Sun,thats why we celebrate this puja i e chhat puja on 6th days after
diwali and holi
secondly kartik and chait mash both month are transaction period in period virous in the air.

prabhu nath singh October 26th, 2009 9:51 pm

Perhaps this is the only festival in the world where devotees offer salutations to the setting as well as the rising sun. Jai Bihar

Kundan October 26th, 2009 2:58 am

Ms.Manorma Pandey, I really adore your explaination of ‘Chhat Vrat’ This is very good information which will clear the doubts and put an end to all unnecessary arguments against Hindu Vrat & festivals, You should keep on giving more information about other vrat and hindu festivals, many of us are unknown of their virtues. Best of luck.

Rajesh K.Pathak October 25th, 2009 7:16 pm

As per the yogic view point word Chhath is a compound of two words; Chah means 6 stages and Hath refers to the science of Hath Yog (austerity). The word Chhath refers to the process of consciously obtaining the solar energy through 6 stages involving the methods similar to Hath Yog. Hath here refers to the austerities like fasting, standing in water, etc. This entire process has been termed by the yogis as a Conscious Photoenergization Process having 6 stages.

Stage 1: Fasting and the discipline of cleanliness leads to detoxification of the body and mind. This stage prepares the body and mind of the Vratti (devotee) to receive the cosmic solar energy.

Stage 2: Standing in a water body with half the body (navel deep) in the water minimizes the leak of energy and helps the prana (psychic energy) to move up the sushumna (psychic channel in the spine).

Stage 3: Cosmic Solar Energy enters the Vratti’s pineal, pituitary and hypothalamus glands (Triveni complex) through retina and optic nerves.

Stage 4: Activation of Triveni (tri-glandular complex) Pineal, pituitary and hypothalamus

Stage 5: A kind of Polarization of happens in the spine, which results in the Vratti’s gross and subtle bodies getting transformed into a cosmic powerhouse. This can also lead to the awakening of the latent psychic energy popularly known as the Kundalini Shakti.

Stage 6: The body of Vratti (devotee) becomes a channel, which conducts, recycles and transmits the energy into the entire universe.

Manorma Pandey October 25th, 2009 5:53 pm

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