नमः सूर्याय शान्ताय सर्वरोग निवारिणे

आयु ररोग्य मैस्वैर्यं देहि देवः जगत्पते ||

This Mantra is all about contentment. That is to say, "You, Lord Surya, rule the universe and cherish peace. You're able to get rid of a wide range of illnesses. Bless me with long life, excellent health, and prosperity.

Indeed this mantra signifies how lord Surya takes care of the overall well-being of humans.

Chhath  Puja is one such greatest festivals celebrated to offer prayer to Lord Surya along with goddess “Usha also called “Chatti Maiya”.

Chhath Puja has grown in popularity as a popular solar festival, and it is widely observed in north and east India.

Chhath Puja originated from the Indian state of Bihar where this festival is hugely celebrated but it is also celebrated in the states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh as well as Nepal, but its popularity has since extended not only throughout north and east India but also around the world. The four-day events draw so large crowds that city and state officials frequently have to make extra arrangements.

In Bhojpuri, Maithili, and Nepali dialects, the word "Chhath" means sixth. Chhath Puja is a Hindu festival that takes place six days after Diwali and is celebrated in the lunisolar month of Kartik. It occurs in the months of October or November according to the English calendar. After Navratri, this festival is the longest, lasting festival of four days, and is also known as “Surya Shasthi.”

In this blog, we will go through the mythological story behind this auspicious festival its importance, and much more.

Mythological Stories behind Chhath pooja:

India is a land of festivals, which are celebrated joyfully and enthusiastically throughout the year in various parts of the country. One such festival is Chhath Puja which is hugely celebrated and gives you heavenly and angelic experience oh my god! I am already having goosebumps just discussing this grand festival. So let’s have a look at the mythological stories behind this festival.

Story of Chhath pooja related to Mahabharat:

This ritual is also mentioned in the Sanskrit Epic poem Draupadi, who is described as performing a ritual similar to today's Chhath Puja. Draupadi began to grieve during the Pandavas' banishment in the jungle since the Pandavas were in distress. Yudhishthira traveled to Dhoumya in order to find a solution to their problems.

The solution was given by Sage Dhaumya, who said that "the Foodgrain are the forms of the lord Surya that assist me in keeping life on the earth." As a result, the Surya deity is their biological father. People who worship lord Surya with a pure heart on the sixth and seventh days of the Shukla Paksha fortnight in Kartik Mas and chant the 108 names of Lord Surya will be blessed with sons, gems, wealth, and wisdom.

Yudhisthira began worshipping Lord Sun after being enlightened and receiving advice from Sage Dhaumya. Lord Sun appeared in front of Yudhisthira, pleased with his devotions, and presented him with a miraculous copper vessel. Lord Surya promised that this vessel would cook four different sorts of food for them and would last until Draupadi, the Pandavas' wife, finished her supper. In this way, the Pandavas were able to overcome their difficulties while also assisting in the re-establishment of their kingdoms. As a result, it is thought that by worshipping Bhagwan Surya at Chhath Puja, one can obtain all of one's desires and be free of all sorrow and suffering.

Also, in Mahabharat, Karan, the son of Kunti and God Surya, performs regular worship of his father Sun as well as a special puja during the Shukla Paksha month of Kartik. Karan is also a member of the Aang dynasty (Now known as Bhagalpur in Bihar). People in that portion of Bihar begin to worship Lord Sun as well.

Chhath Puja has a yogic or scientific heritage that extends back to Vedic times. The rishis of old employed this strategy to stay alive without having to eat anything and were able to get their energy from the sun. The Chhath Puja rituals were used to accomplish this.

Story of Chhath Puja related to Devasena:

There was a king Priyavrat and his queen Malini, who reigned over what is now Bihar and Jharkhand. They were childless and performed a Putrakaamesthi Yagya (a ritual in which they ask the gods for a son), during which a bowl of kheer (rice pudding) came from within the havan kund (fire pit). The queen eats the pudding and falls pregnant as a result. The infant, however, is stillborn. She goes to a river, distraught, to commit suicide, but is stopped by a woman. She introduces herself as Devasena/Shasthi and requests that the queen worship her and the sun deity for giving children and protecting them. Queen Malini complied with the request and was shortly rewarded with a child Chhath Puja has been practiced since then.

In Vedas:

It is thought to have come from the ancient Vedas – the Rigveda, which contain hymns of honoring the Lord Surya, as well as descriptions of the ceremony and examples of comparable costumes. It describes the ardent worship of the God Surya as well as frugality and abstinence rituals. Chhaiti Maiya is also worshipped and known as USHA in the Vedas.

The Four Days of Chhath Puja are observed as follows: 

To commemorate the occasion, people adhere to a strict fasting regimen for four days. During the celebration, devotees fast for four days and offer prayers and food to the rising and setting sun. People take sacred baths and refrain from drinking water or eating as part of the rituals. Devotees pray for blessings for the family's overall well-being. Standing in water to meditate is also part of the practice. On this day, thekua or Khajuria, a favorite Bihar sweet, is prepared.

Here is how the Four Days of Chhath is Celebrated:

• Nahay Khay: Devotees take a dip in the Holy River Ganga or any river on the first day of Chhath Puja and bring the holy water home for the offerings.
  
  
• Lohanda or Kharna: The devotees fast for the entire second day, breaking their fast after sunset. People worship the Sun and the Moon and make kheer, chapati, and rice for their families as offerings. They then fast for 36 hours without drinking anything.
  
  
• Sandhya Arghya: (first offering /offering for the setting sun) : In the evening, devotees prepare the prasad and bathe in the holy water and offer prayer by giving arghya to the setting sun. They chant traditional songs as they worship the Sun God, Chhathi Maiyya, and prepare evening offerings.
  
  
• Usha Arghya: (second offering/offering for the rising sun): Devotees break their fast and offer prayers to the Sun in the sacred waters the next morning at dawn.

People who participate in this festival avoid living their usual lifestyle for these four days. On a single blanket, they sleep on the floor. People practice Surya Namaskar and offer fruits to the Sun on the festival's primary day.

Chhath is a festival that celebrates brotherhood.

According to an ANI report, Muslim women from Bihar cleaned a Ganga ghat during the Chhath celebration. In an interview, they said "Chhath Puja is a huge celebration that celebrates devotion and cleanliness. We also take part in the festivities in large numbers. We want to put an end to the bloodshed that has recently erupted between Muslims and Hindus”

Cooking in specially purchased earthen stoves is also part of the Chhath ritual. Muslim women make the majority of these stoves. To follow Hindu customs and beliefs, they refrain from eating non-vegetarian foods and eating onions and garlic until the stoves are complete. Najama, a Muslim woman involved in the preparation of stoves, told Firstpost in an interview while making the mitti ka chulhas, we have stopped eating onion, garlic, and meat. We don't touch the clay for the stoves until we've bathed and changed into clean clothes. Since the earthen stoves are utilized for Chhath, we make them with great care and cleanliness.

What these Muslim women are doing is excellent in terms of communal harmony and unity.

The Chhath pooja is said to be a festival of ultimate dedication and care while performing rituals people from all the sections of society whether rich or poor upper caste or lower caste come together to celebrate this festival when you go to the ghats you can witness the beauty of this festival people just want to do some seva of devotees who are fasting for this festival like cleaning their clothes, offering them food with utmost dedication and they don’t even care about their class or status people can be seen standing in long crew to get some prasad from devotees.

Chhath is the most environmentally friendly festival.

Chhath, the mahaparv,' exemplifies the real spirit of worship while posing no environmental risk. During the four-day festival, all people worship mother nature in the most religious way possible. The festival's uniqueness is that it is centered on nature, as all of the items required for the rituals are found in nature.

All rituals are performed on the banks of rivers or other bodies of water, It is the most environmentally friendly festival because of the cleanup of water bodies and riverbanks, as well as restrictions on the use of synthetic materials and other practices.

According to Ashok Ghosh, chairman of the state-level Expert Appraisal Body, a technical committee of the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), the message of environmental conservation is best spread among the masses during the Chhath festival.

The majority of the things utilized in Chhath are natural. For an instance, The 'Daura' and Soop used in the rituals are biodegradable bamboo materials. In fact, Chhath is a festival dedicated to the worship of nature. We worship the lord Sun because all living species rely on the sun on for solar energy, whether directly or indirectly.

LPG or kerosene stoves, as well as machines for making edibles such as 'Prasad,' are often avoided by devotees, who prefer to use earthen stoves.

The rituals of Chhath Puja have a number of health benefits

Now that we've seen how this magnificent festival benefits us in so many ways, let's take a look at some of the festival’s key health benefits.

People from different castes, communities, and trades participate in Chhath. Experts think its rituals have a scientific foundation and a broad impact on health. While fasting replenishes numerous physiological functions, oblations (arghya) to the setting and rising sun, as well as the items used as 'prasad' (offerings), have a direct link to nature and its effects.

Blood pressure, blood sugar, skin, and other health issues are also cured by the rituals. NR Biswas, director of the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS), claimed that fasting throughout the festival helps to keep blood pressure in check.

Dr. P K Sinha, former medical superintendent of IGIMS, observed that while fasting can help with gastrointestinal issues and constipation, offering arghya with complete concentration can help with other metabolic functions. Chhath rituals are designed in such a way that helps in improving immunity, mental health, and controlling the digestive system of the human body. The rituals assist to release stress and standing in front of the setting and the rising sun in a river or pond aids in direct vitamin D absorption from the sun.

Many body systems are recharged during the preparations and observance of the Chhath festival, which is a "universal messenger" of personal and community hygiene. The rituals observed by devotees assist restore the body's normal respiratory process since it is celebrated after the monsoon and at the start of winter.

Conclusion:

Chhath Pooja conveys a deep message about life.

The Chhath mahaparv, a festival dedicated to the greatest source of energy on earth, the Sun, as the only visible God on earth,this festival gives a very deep message to us as both the rising and setting sun are worshipped, which shows what has risen will set, and what has set will rise again.

If you have not yet experienced the splendor of this festival, you should plan a trip to the country's eastern and northern regions, particularly Bihar, where the festival's aura is very different and divine.

This festival is called mahaparv, which means huge, and I don't think I need to explain why. The above points are significant enough to prove that a festival with a storied history and is also significant in modern times because it celebrates brotherhood, brings people from all castes and tribes together, is a very eco-friendly and scientific festival, with numerous health benefits the festival has grown in popularity and is now celebrated across the world by the devotees.

I hope you liked the article and it has helped you to know about this great festival thank you for reading.

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