The tale as old as the Vedic age

Astha

The tale as old as the Vedic age

Bihar doesn't usually experience an influx of people. But try getting a ticket to Bihar during the Chhath Puja. Forget a last-minute ticket, you won't get a last-month ticket to Bihar even on the floors of a train. Chhath Puja is the grandest and most awaited festival for people here. What's the story behind this Mahaparva?

Women giving 'arghya' to the setting Sun. Image source: Navbharat Times

Chhath Puja is the most elaborate festival for the North Indian states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and even parts of Nepal. It is dedicated to the worship of Sun God and his wife Usha. There's also the Chhath goddess 'Chhathi Maiyaa', who represents the spirit of Chhath.

The entire festival is about expressing gratitude towards the divine Sun God for supporting life on earth and ask for his blessings. In Hindu mythology, the Sun is of great power and importance, a symbol of longevity, progress, positivity, prosperity, and well-being.

It's not just the Hindu mythology but even the ancient civilisations of Babylonian and the Egyptians' custom to offer prayers to the Sun God. The importance of the Sun is universal.

The tale of Chhath Puja is near to impossible to be pinpointed to one story since its origin traces back to the Vedic Age. It's the only festival that originated in that age to be celebrated to date.

Chhath Puja has been associated with both the major Hindu epics of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.

You might have noticed every year you got a holiday break of Diwali and Chhath together. This is because Diwali is observed on Amavasya (new moon) - the 15th day - of the month of Kartik and Chhath starts on the 21st day of the Hindu calendar month “Kartika” (6th day of Shukla paksha of Kartik). Why are these dates so close? The answer lies in Ramayana.

The interesting point to note in this story is that the rituals of Chhath Puja were done by both Karan and the Pandavas. Pandavas were royal, Karan, on the other hand, was considered to be a person of lower caste (even though he was originally born to Kunti, the former Queen). Chhath Puja arguably remains one of the very few Hindu festivals that go beyond the caste hierarchy as it evolved in the Vedic Age and a rigid caste system simply didn't exist during that time period.

This puja touches upon Vedic ideas of 'equality, fraternity, unity, and integrity.' To date, the devotees of all classes- elite or middle class prepare the similar prasad and offer it to the almighty and visit the banks of river and ponds for extending their prayers. After all, the Sun shines upon all beings and belongs to everyone.

Looking at these stories you might notice that men also did this puja. In reality, earlier men were the ones who were the active participants in this puja. Though, over time women have dominated this area. However, this puja is completely gender-neutral.

Chhath Puja lasts for four days. The first day is the Nahay Khay. The devotees take a dip in the water of Ganga or other rivers nearby and take back the holy water to prepare prasad. The next day is Lohanda of Kharna, the first day of fasting. Devotees prepare prasad which includes kheer, bananas, and roti all made on a real fire, not on a stove with a gas cylinder. They then consume this prasad and begin their 36 hours fast without water.

The third day marks the main festival day. People make thekuas made of jaggery not processed sugar. During the sunset, they stand in water and offer the Sun God these thekuas and seasonal fruits. This is called giving 'arghya' to the Sun God. After the evening arghya, comes the morning arghya*,* repeating the same rituals but this time to the rising sun. The devotees break their fast by consuming the prasad they made. This marks the end of the puja.

The rituals sound too hoity-toity and strict for a festival right? But do you know Chhath Puja is the only Hindu festival where all the rituals have a scientific explanation for the benefit of the devotee? All the customs together form the complete process for detoxification. It is crafted in a way that involves the optimum absorption of Calcium & Vitamin D into the body, which is really beneficial for women. It also helps in increasing the immunity of the body.

Apart from physical benefits, devotees are offered great mental benefits. The entire process of puja is to calm the minds of devotees, take a break from the heavy schedule and focus on meditation, finding your inner self and your connection with nature. It removes negative energy and brings positivity in life, which is why the setting Sun is prayed to first and the rising Sun in the end. The low points in life won't last forever; things would look up again just like the setting sun rises again.

Being eco-friendly and talking of sustainable developments have been the recent talk over the last century. Do you know this 600 BC old puja is in accordance with these terms? Not only, in accordance with them but the ritual emphasises nature-friendly techniques.

The use of plastic is meant to be minimal and everything used during the puja has to be made from natural products. Like the stove used is meant to be made from mud. The plates in which prasad is served are either clay plates or leave plates. In these little details, lies the values that bring us closer to nature.

Environmentalists have claimed that the festival of Chhath is one of the most eco-friendly religious festivals that spreads "the message of nature conservation". During this puja, no one is allowed to eat the fruits as all the seasonal fruits are offered to the Sun God and one only consumes it after the puja. This festival is about praying to nature for the life they have given us and appreciating it.

Chhath Puja, a centuries-old tradition, carries trendy principle values. It goes beyond the talk of purity and devotion and offers physical and mental benefits to the one who follows this fast and emphasises eco-friendly principles. With time the traditions of Puja has changed. Now, people who don't have access to a water body create small pools in their neighbourhood or on rooftops and fill them with water. Similarly, many parts of the rituals have changed over the past but deep within it still carries the same values- being thankful towards nature for everything they have bestowed upon us.

When Lord Rama, his wife Sita, and his brother, Lakshmana returned to Ayodhya, huge celebrations were in order. The entire Ayodhya was decorated. We celebrate this day as Diwali. Just after their arrival Rama and Sita decided to do a fast in honour of the Sun God. They only broke the fast after the sunset. Over the years, this ritual evolved has evolved as Chhath Puja.

Chhath is also mentioned in the Mahabharata. If you remember watching Mahabharata, the famous character Karan, the child of the Sun God and Kunti used to offer his prayers to the Sun God while standing in the water every morning. After his prayers, he used to give out alms to the needy. Draupadi and Pandavas also performed similar rituals while they were in the forest during their exile to get their kingdom back.