🎋Chhath Puja - छठ पूजा

Tithi: Karthik / Chaitra Shukla Chaturthi
Sunset time in Delhi: - 05:33 PM
Sunset time in Patna: - 05:06 PM

The first day of Chhath festival is known as Nahay-Khay. On this day, the first house is cleaned and sanctified. After that, the Vratis go to their nearest river or pond and bathe in clean water. On this day, Vratis eat only once. Fried foods are completely forbidden this fast. This food is cooked in bronze or clay utensils.

Tithi: Karthik / Chaitra Shukla Panchami
Sunset time in Delhi: - 05:32 PM
Sunset time in Patna: - 05:05 PM

The second day of Chhath festival which is known as Kharna or Lohanda. On this day, Vratis keep fast for the whole day, do not take even a drop of water before sunset. In the evening rice pudding is made using jaggery and sugarcane juice. These two things are taken again by giving Naivedya to Suryadev, living alone in the same house.

All family members, friends and relatives are given kheer-roti as prasad. This entire process is called kharna. After this, the fast observes Nirjala fast for the next 36 hours. In the middle of the night vrati makes Thekua salt dish as a special offering for fasting worship.

Tithi: Karthik / Chaitra Shukla Shashthi
Sunset time in Delhi: - 05:32 PM
Sunset time in Patna: - 05:04 PM

The third day of Chhath festival which is known as Sandhya Arghya. Throughout the day, all family members prepare for worship. Special offerings such as thekua, kachavaniya (rice laddus) are made for Chhath Puja. For Chhath Puja, a basket made of bamboo called Daura is put in the pujari, fruits of the puja, and placed in Devakari.

After doing pooja there, in the evening after taking coconut in a soup, five kinds of fruits and other items of worship, keep them in Daura and take the men of the house with their hands and take them to Chhath Ghat. In this festival, special care is taken of purity. In this entire event, women often go to the ghat to sing the songs of Chhath Maiya.

On the banks of the river, a Chhath Mata chaura is made and coconut is placed on it, with all the items of worship on it, and the lamp is lit. Shortly before sunset, by taking the whole worship item, vrati's stand in water up to the knees and offers arghya to the drowning Surya bhagwan.

Tithi: Karthik / Chaitra Shukla Saptami
Sunrise time in Delhi: - 06:38 AM
Sunrise time in Patna: - 06:02 AM

Arghya is offered to the rising Surya on the fourth day i.e. the last day. Before sunrise, the Vrati-Jana reaches the ghat along with all the family members to worship the rising Surya Bhagwan.

The dishes offered at Sandhya Arghya are replaced by new dishes, but the fruits remain the same. All the rules and regulations are done in the same way as the evening arghya. Puja archana is the ritual of worship of the ghat after completion.

The rituals of Chhath Puja aim to infuse the body and mind of the devotee for the cosmic solar-energy infusion. It is only during sunrise and sunset that most humans can safely obtain solar energy. This is the reason why there is a tradition of offering Arghya to the Sun in the late evening and early morning in the festival of Chhath Puja.

In ancient times, sages were using the same process as we used to do during Chhath Puja without any kind of solid or liquid diet. With the help of a similar process, they were able to absorb the energy needed for life directly from the Sun instead of from food and water.

❀ The process of Chhath Puja focuses on the mental discipline of the devotee. Its purpose is to lead the devotee towards mental purity. With the help of several rituals, Chhath Vrat focuses on maintaining utmost cleanliness in all offerings and environment. One thing that remains at the top during this festival is cleanliness.

❀ It has a great detoxification effect on the mind and body as it results in biochemical changes. A long fast of 36 hours leads to complete detoxification of the body.

❀ The natural immune system uses a lot of energy to fight the toxins present in the body. With the help of detoxification procedures like meditation, pranayama, yoga and Chhath rituals, the amount of toxins present in the body can be drastically reduced.

❀ Safe irradiation of sunlight cures fungal and bacterial infections. As a result of Chhath Puja, the energy absorbed by the bloodstream improves the function of white blood cells. Along with this, solar energy also balances the secretion of hormones.

Chaiti Chhath is the oldest Chhath festival, Chaiti Chhath has its own importance. According to the Hindu calendar, Chhath Puja is celebrated twice a year, the Chhath Puja falling in the month of Chaitra is celebrated as Chaiti Chhath, which is in the month of March or April according to the English calendar and the second Chhath festival is celebrated in the month of Kartik in October or November. It is celebrated in the month of Chhath Puja which falls in the month of Kartik is more famous among the people.

By performing Chaiti Chhath, all the pains of the body go away. Along with this, all the problems of the family will be removed. Chaiti Chhath festival is celebrated with great pomp in many parts of the country. Especially in Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, this great festival of folk faith is celebrated with great faith.