Chhath Puja: Festival of the Sun God

Chhath Puja is an Indian thanksgiving festival dedicated to the Sun God. During the celebrations of Chhath Puja, people gather on the banks of the River Ganga or any other water front where ganga is not available to bathe in its sacred water, pray and make ritual offerings to the Sun God. Chhath Puja is a highly elaborate festival noted for its impressive display of colorful costumes, music, singing and extravagant rituals.

When Is the Festival of Chhath Puja?

Chhath Puja takes place, sometime during the months of October and November, immediately following the six-day festival of lights known as Diwali. Chhath Puja lasts for one night and one day.

Where Is Chhath Puja Celebrated?

Chhath Puja is mainly celebrated mainly in Bihar. The festival takes place, on the banks of the River Ganga, in people's homes and at the Sun Temple of Baragaon, two kilometers outside Nalanda, in Bihar. Chhath Puja is also celebrated in eastern Uttar Pradesh especially Varanasi. However with people from bihar spreading to many other states of india this festival is now celebrated in many other states of india by the bihari population there. The CHHath puja at JUHU beach of mumbai has become very colourful celebration.

How Is Chath Puja Celebrated?

1. On the day before the festival of Chhath Puja, it is customary for participants to gather on the riverbanks and cleanse themselves, briefly, in the water of the River Ganges. After cleansing, a token amount of sacred water is retained for use as offerings during the festival of Chhath Puja.
2. Before Chhath Puja, people fast throughout the day and into the early evening. The fast is followed by worship in the home. Festive fare consisting of freshly harvested rice, puris and fruit such as bananas, coconuts and grapefruit are then served to the family
3. On the second day of Chhath Puja a strict 24-hour fast is observed; not even water is consumed. Cooking utensils are purified by the senior women of the household, as part of the ritual preparation of offerings for the main part of the celebration of Chhath Puja.
4. At sunset, worshippers proceed to the riverbank bearing their offerings in baskets held high to avoid the impure touch of human hands.The participants then pay homage to the Sun God, at the precise moment of the setting sun. Further celebrations take place at nightfall under temporary canopies made from sugar cane stalks where offerings are laid out as a tribute to the god of fire.
5. Well before sunrise, when the sky is pitch black, worshippers return to the riverbank to pray to the rising sun; this ritual is considered the focal point of the ceremony of Chhath Puja. Following prayers and the purifying bathing ritual, the fast is ended with the offering, or prasad, to the Sun God. Offerings are then shared with families, friends and fellow worshippers, accompanied by the chanting of the Rig Veda Gayatri Mantra to the Sun God.