Chhath Pooja or Chhath Festival (छठ महापर्व) is a very important festival of Bihar. In Chhath Pooja mainly the Sun God is worshipped. The worshippers thank the Sun for bestowing life force, and prayers were offered to the deity for well being and grant for wishes. Men and Women keep a fast of around 36 hours in the festival.
The Goddess of the festival is also assigned who is named as Chhathi Maiya. She is believed to be the 6th form of Devi Prakriti. She is believed to be Lord Shiva’s sister too.
It is celebrated on the sixth day of the lunar month of Kartik, that is also why it is called chhath (sixth). Hindus follow a diffferent calendar than the greogorian calendar which is known as Vikram Samwat.
Chhath Pooja 2022
This year Chhath pooja will be starting from October 28, 2022 and will end on October 31, 2022. The day and the programme details are as follows:
- October 28, 2022- Nahay Khai नहाय खाए (Bathing and Eating Food).
- October 29, 2022- Kharna.खरना On this day prasad or sacred food is prepared and distributed among people.
- October 30, 2022- First Arghya पहला अर्घ्य शाम to the setting Sun. The Sunset time is 5:37 P.M.
- October 31, 2022- Second Arghya दूसरा अर्घ्य सुबह to the Rising Sun. The Sunrise time is 6:31 A.M.
What Happens in Chhath
In the month of Karthik, Nahay Khay (Bathing and fooding) is on the fourth date of the Vikram Samwat. Kharna on the next day in which Prasad is distributed which mainly consists of rice pudding and Poori, Chana Pulses, and Bottle gourd (Kaddu, Lauki) vegetable.
The third day will be the day to offer prayers to the setting Sun God in the evening by offering water also termed as Arghya. The fourth and the final day is reserved for the rising sun, in which water is offered by the devotees to the rising Sun. This culminates the Chhath Festival.
Cleanliness is of utmost important during the Chhath Festival. People prefer going to Rivers Banks to Pay homage/ offering water to the Sun God but due to rising population and convenience these days people are doing this process in their home’s terrace or near any place near to a water body.
Bamboo items like Daura, Sooops (used as containers) etc are mainly used to keep the fruits and Prasads. The pooja period sees high demand of these goods owing to their price rise. These goods take approximately three to four days to manufacture. Some people engage in article making during this period for their livelihood. Many people are engaged in this business for generations.
The Government and the administration stay on alert during the Pooja’s celebrations. They also upkeep the River Banks or Ghats operations and maintenance.
Chhath Pooja is mainly the festival of Bihar, but due to its sacred value people around the region also started celebrating it. People of Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Nepal and the Bihari Diaspora in foreign countries have embraced the Chhath Pooja and celebrate it with enthusiasm.
Some Famous Chhath Pooja Songs/ Geet
People sing and listen to various songs of Chhath during this festival which add to its cultural spirit. Many singers have composed songs on Chhath Pooja owing to its popularity. There are songs of both folk type and commercial ones. Some of the famous songs composed by various singers are as follows:
- Pahile Pahil Chhathi Maiya by Sharda Sinha.
- Kabahu Naa Chhooti
- Ho Deenanath
- Uga Hai Suraj Dev by Anuradha Paudwal
- Kelva Ke Paat Par
- Chhaathi Maiya Aai Na Duariya
- Bahangi Lachkat Jaaye Song
- Ugi He Dinanath by Swati Mishra
- He Chhathi Maiya
Chhath Pooja in Hindi
छठ पूजा या छठ महापर्व, बिहार का एक बहुत ही महत्वपूर्ण त्योहार है। छठ पूजा में मुख्य रूप से सूर्य देव की पूजा की जाती है। उपासक सूर्य को जीवन शक्ति प्रदान करने के लिए धन्यवाद देते हैं, और सूर्य देवता को भलाई और इच्छाओं की पूर्ती के लिए प्रार्थना की जाती है। त्योहार में पुरुष और महिलाएं लगभग 36 घंटे का उपवास रखते हैं।
त्योहार की देवी को भी निर्दिष्ट किया जाता है जिसे छठी मैया के नाम से जाना जाता है। उन्हें देवी प्रकृति का छठा रूप माना जाता है। मान्यता के अनुसार उन्हें भगवान शिव की बहन भी माना जाता है।
यह कार्तिक मास की शुक्ल पक्ष की षष्ठी को मनाया जाता है, इसीलिए इसे छठ (छठा) भी कहा जाता है। हिंदू ग्रेगोरियन कैलेंडर की तुलना में एक अलग कैलेंडर का पालन करते हैं जिसे विक्रम संवत के नाम से जाना जाता है।
छठ पूजा मुख्य रूप से बिहार में मनाया जाता है, लेकिन इसके पवित्र मूल्य के कारण क्षेत्र के आसपास के लोगों ने भी इसे मनाना शुरू कर दिया है। झारखंड, उत्तर प्रदेश, नेपाल और विदेशों में बिहार के रहने वाले लोगों ने भी छठ पूजा को गले लगा लिया है और इसे उत्साह के साथ मनाते हैं।
