Chhath is one of the most significant and ancient Hindu festivals celebrated in parts of India and Nepal. Dedicated to Lord Surya or the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya or Goddess Usha, Chhath involves rigorous ritual observances over 4 major days seeking blessings of the Sun.
The core essence of Chhath Puja revolves around the profound relationship shared between the Sun God and Mother Nature, celebrating solar energy as the life force fostering prosperity on earth through agriculture and supporting all living beings through sunlight and its Photosynthesis magic.
Hindus thus express their deepest gratitude to the first ray of Sunrise and the last Sunset by worshipping him as a benevolent source of universal energy and the cosmic giver of radiance, warmth, and abundance, embodied as Lord Surya.
The festival features fasting, sacred bathing in water bodies, offering 'Arghya' or ritualistic offerings of prasad, maintaining bodily piety through abstinence praying through the night with lit earthen lamps only fed by desi cow ghee wicks and devoted songs making Chhath a meaningful spiritual inheritance passed down generations reflecting glorious legacies!
Historicity and Mythology
Traced to ancient Vedic texts worshipping the life-giving Sun, Chhath evolved further through Puranic legends like Lord Rama and Mata Sita observing the tough rituals seeking a kingdom. The Sun temples of Bihar reserve historic traces regarding worship customs involving the Sun God and his various consorts as deities over yugas signifying its antiquity. The prominence of Sun worship across ancient cultures underscores Chhath's wide resonance.
Date and Significance
Chhath corresponds to Kartik Shukla Shashthi falling months of October-November as per the Hindu lunar calendar. It coincides with the winter solstice period often deemed spiritually significant as the diffused setting Sunlight holds powers sought through rigorous prayers. Culturally, the harvest festival also marks the end of the monsoons when grains ripen. The timing thus holds agricultural and spiritual significance.
Rituals and Celebrations
Core Chhath rituals involve maintaining bodily piety, pardoning debts while offering sacred arghya, and observing fasting without water through 4 significant days dedicated to blessings from various avatars of Lord Surya. The festivities feature vibrant aipan floor designs and Nightlong chants by women amidst lamps lit purely by ghee wicks and flowers offered amidst rivers. The strict observances highlight the festival's religious essence and the reverence accorded to Lord Surya invoking his radiant blessings.
Cultural Aspects and Cuisine
Behind the somber rituals, Chhath bears strong cultural and communal overtones witnessed during preparations of special prasads like the sweet kheer or arwa rice. The social inclusion also manifests through traditional folk music and regional song renditions by women on river banks. Unique to Chhath are vibrant rangoli, bamboo artifacts for temporary kitchens, and ritual floral baskets. The artistry reveals deep cultural connections.
Here are some of the special cuisines prepared and offered during the Chhath festival:
- Thekua - The quintessential sweet snack of Chhath are these moist cookies made from whole wheat flour, jaggery, and ghee. They are made in various shapes and cooked only in earthen stoves.
- Kheer- Thekua - This kheer made by including thekua crumbs and dry fruits is a signature Chhath prasad sweet porridge made from milk and rice. It is offered as bhog to the Sun God.
- Arava Kheer - A special kheer made from arwa rice and milk infused with ghee, dry fruits, and sugar. Arwa is a sticky short-grained rice variety considered pious and nutritious.
- Rasiao Kaddu Bhaji - Pumpkins and bottle gourd cooked together with tomato and garlic form a popular regional bhaji relished during Chhath.
- Banana Shakkar Para - Ripe banana slices dipped in a besan batter and deep fried make for a delicious exotic dessert.
- Date and Walnut Laddus - These nutritious traditional laddus made of dates and walnuts are prepared for prasad and family feasting.
The prasad items for Chhath are cooked only in earthen pots, devoid of salt or preservatives, and offered as bhog with purity seeking Lord Surya's divine blessings for all.
Chhath and Nepal
The festival witnesses ardent participation among Nepalis of Bihari, and Madeshi origins concentrated across the Terai region alongside mountain folks of Danuwar and Kushwaha castes who rigorously celebrate Chhath. Significant ghats dedicated to offering arghya rituals have emerged across riversides in Nepal while government patronage is also staunch with public holidays declared. Thereby cultural assimilation sustains its essence in Nepal.
The profound rituals, and soaring spirit of resilience besides artistic culinary, and social elements make Chhath an illuminating faith festival fostering vibrant community participation that continues flourishing wonderfully across the foothills nourishing spiritual and agricultural foundations in the Himalayan country.
