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Chhath is an ancient Hinduism festival, native to East India and southern Nepal. It is celebrated especially in the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Purvanchal; and Koshi Province, Gandaki Province, Bagmati, Lumbini Province and Madhesh Province provinces of Nepal. In major Indian and Nepalese urban centres like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Kathmandu, the diaspora actively participates in celebrating Chhath, preserving their cultural heritage. The festival is also celebrated by the diaspora in countries such as the United States, Australia, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Mauritius, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
During Chhath Puja, prayers are dedicated to the solar deity, Surya, to express gratitude for the blessings of life on Earth and to seek the fulfilment of personal wishes. The Hindu goddess Chhathi Maiya (or Chhathi Mata)—the sixth form of Prakriti and Surya's sister—is also worshipped during the festival. It is celebrated for six days after Diwali or Tihar, until the sixth day of the lunar month of Kartika (October or November) in the Hindu calendar (Vikram Samvat), which is why it is called 'Surya Shashti Vrata'. The rituals are observed over three nights and four days, and include holy bathing, fasting, abstaining from drinking water as a Vratta (devotion), standing in water, and offering prasada (prayer offerings of food) and arghya to the rising and setting of the Sun. Some devotees also perform a prostration march as they head towards the riverbanks. All devotees prepare similar prasada and offerings.
Top 5 Traditional Recipes for Chhath Puja: Celebrate with Authentic and Flavorful Delicacies
These recipes are not only offerings but also symbolize purity, devotion, and cultural richness associated with the Chhath festival.
have claimed that the festival of Chhath is one of the most eco-friendly religious festivals.
In the evening, the entire household accompanies the devotee to a riverbank, pond, or other large body of water to make the arghya offerings to the setting sun. Where there is no river or pond, an indoor setup such as a tank or fountain is used. In certain places there are restrictions on using beaches for puja. Besides the devotees and their friends and family, other participants and onlookers help and receive the worshipper's blessings.
When making arghya, Ganges water is offered to Surya, and Chhathi Maiya is worshipped with the prasada. After the worship of the Sun God, participants sing Chhath songs in the night and read the Vrat katha.
After returning home, devotees perform the ritual of kosi bharai together with other family members. They tie together 5–7 sugarcanes to form a Mandapa beneath which 12–24 diya (lamps) are burnt and thekua and seasonal fruits are offered. The same ritual is repeated the next morning between 3 am and 4 am, and afterward the devotees offer arghya or other offerings to the rising sun.
In Champaran (Bihar, India) and Madhesh Province (Nepal), it is a belief that after leaving Ayodhya, Sita stayed in Valmiki Ashram located on the edge of the Narayani River in Chitwan district, on the India–Nepal border. During that time, she celebrated Chhath Mahaparva in Nepal.
In the Mahabharata, Chhath Puja was performed by Kunti after she (and the ) escaped from Lakshagriha. It is also believed that Karna, the son of Surya and Kunti, was conceived after Kunti performed Chhath Puja. Draupadi is also said to have performed the Puja for the Pandavas to win the Kurukshetra War. It is believed that Draupadi performed Chhath Puja near a spring in Nagdi village of Ranchi. In this village today, the festival is performed near this spring, not the river or pond.
The Brahma Vaivarta Purana mentions that Chhathi Maiya is worshipped during the Chhath festival. It says that the Chhath Puja was started in the holy city of Varanasi by the Gahadavala dynasty. According to the Skanda Purana, the trend of Chhath Puja spread from Varanasi to elsewhere in the country.
According to another legend, King Priyavrata, son of first Manu Svayambhuva, was unhappy because he had no children. To remedy this, Kashyapa asked him to do a yajna. Shortly after, a son was born to Queen Malini; however, the baby was born dead. Following the stillbirth, the king and his family were heartbroken. Finding sympathy for the royal family, Mata Shashthi revealed herself in the sky. When the king prayed to her, she spoke, saying: "I am Chhathi Maiya the sixth form of Prakriti. I protect all the children of the world and give the blessings of children to all childless parents." After this, the goddess blessed the lifeless child with her hands, so that he came to life. Thankful for Shashthi Devi's grace, the king worshipped the goddess. It is believed that after this puja, this festival became a worldwide celebration.
It is also believed that there was an ashram (hermitage) of the rishi Kashyapa and Aditi in the Buxar district region. Mata Aditi gave birth to Surya as a son on the sixth day of Kartika. Surya is also called Aditya because he is the son of Aditi. For this reason, Chhath Puja is celebrated as the birth anniversary of Surya and the month of Kartika is considered a holy month throughout the year.
In Munger region, the festival is known for its association with Sita manpatthar (or Sita Charan; ). It is believed that the goddess Sita performed Chhath festival in Munger. Sitacharan Temple, situated on a boulder in the middle of the Ganges River in Munger, is the main center of public faith regarding the Chhath festival.
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