Primary rituals related to chhath Puja 2022 are currently in progress. Chhath puja is the grand festival of mass faith. It is a 4 days festival, and mainly concentrated in most populous states of Bihar, Eastern U.P. and Jharkhand. Thus a substantial portion of India’s population observes this festival with great fervour and reverence. This festival is acknowledgement of the love and blessing, the nature has bestowed upon the human civilisation. It requires purity, simplicity, inclusiveness, social cohesion, and community participation. It is a festival of Hindu religion.
Goddess Chhathi Maiya.
Chhath festival is worship of God Sun (along with his wives Usha and Pratyusha) and Goddess Shashthi (popularly called Chhathi Maiya). Goddess Shashthi is the sixth of NavDurga.
Important Dates ( Year 2022).
- 28th October 2022: Kartik Shukla Chaturthi : Nahay – Khay.
- 29th October 2022: Kartik Shukla Panchmi : Kharna.
- 30th October 2022: Kartik Shukla Shashthi : Sandhya Arghya.
- 31st October 2022: Kartik Shukla Saptami : Usha Arghya.
Rituals.
On the first day of the Chhath Puja devotees take bath in nearby river, pond, or in any local waterbody. In many houses even the meal of the day is also prepared using river water or well water. The meal or ‘the prasad’ includes boiled rice, pulse (gram), and Bottle gourd vegetable.
The meal schedule of the first two days is specially designed to prepare the body to withstand the next 36 hours fasting. Choice of food grains and vegetable is also made very wisefully to help the digestive system getting adjusted impeccably to the requirements of long fasting durations.
Second day of the festival is called Kharna day. Again it is a day long fasting which comes to its end with intake of wheat chapattis, and kheer (Rice pudding), sweetened with jaggery.
On the third day, fasting remains continued, and it comes to its end with offering of milk and water to the rising sun of the 4th day.
Preparation of Prasadam (offerings.)
The prasad is prepared with great care for purity and in conformity to the tradition. For example, in place of mill sugar and sea salt, jaggery and rock salt are used to add sweet and salty flavour respectively. Firewood of mango tree is most desirable as cooking fuel, to be used in earthen stoves.
All kinds of new seasonal fruits, sugarcanes, and other herbs are also included in the prasad. Underlying sense behind including seasonal produce is that whatever new natural produce is available, will first be offered to Sun God as a gesture of thankfulness towards Him. Because without Sun, earth will go lifeless.
Days Go Hectic With Numerous Tasks.
Purity both internal and external is of utmost importance in the Chhath Puja. Wheat is cleaned, washed and dried in the Sun. Drying of wheat in the Sun is given full attention by every family member so as to prevent any of the birds peck at it.
Similarly there are many other cumbersome tasks which keep people busy all 4 days. Arranging firewood, purchasing earthen stoves, earthen wares, and earthen lamps (diyas) from potter, buying bamboo baskets (Daura and Suups) from artisan community, are all very time taking tasks.
People que up at flour mill shops for milling their wheat grains. Flour millers are also very much careful in maintaining cleanliness in their premises. People wash their vehicles to carry and transport the festival related materials.
Families co operate each other in cleaning the nearby river sides and constructing Ghats (flight of steps leading down to river) and decorating them to perform puja over there. This festival mobilizes massive peoples participation for mopping the streets and sprinkling water over pathways.
Devotional Songs: An Essential Part.
And when the hard work is done with such devotion and dedication, with hope for wellbeing of family and society, it stirs emotions. And the vibes thus created, are manifested in the form of songs.
Chhath Puja festival has many folk songs associated with it . Devotees sway to the tunes and lyrics of these songs. Their individuality gets fused with the theme of the song.
These songs are related to day to day tale of the life of devotees, their hopes and desires, their gratitude, and wish for complete surrender in the feet of Goddess chhathi Maiya.
Songs mention the things and attributes of the rural life. Kaanch Baans (New Bamboos) , Bahangi ( primitive load carrying device), Suggas (Parrots), stalks of Banana, bunches of Coconut and Guavas , Aanhar Batohiya ( Ignorant wayfarer), emotions of departure when Sun sets, and emotions of waiting for the Sun to rise again, find mention in these songs.
Subject of Some Popular Songs.
The most popular song “kaanch Hi Baans Ke Bahangiya”, is about request of a lady devotee to her husband. She urges her husband to be Bahangi Bearer (kahaar), and carry the loads of offerings made for Chhathi maiya to the ghat at river side. She also calls her Dewar (Brother in Law) for help. She expresses disgust at the ignorance of the wayfarer (Anhar Batohiya), who doesn’t know that Bahangi is meant for Chhathi Maiya , who resides at the Ghat (River side).
Another song is ” Naariyal Je Farela Ghawad Se”. It is a story about how a defiant parrot is punished for pecking at the coconut, Guava and other fruits, which were to be offered to Chhathi Maiya. However, finally prayer is made to forgive and heal the defiant parrot to bring solace to its female parrot companion, who is wailing so inconsolably.
Song ” Kerwa Ke Paat Par Ugelan Surajmal” , is sung by veteran folk singer Sharda Sinha. The song in its various stanzas, puts forth the glimpses of rising Sun through the leaves of Banana , Guava and Coconut.
Here the lady devotee is being asked that for whom is she observing this fasting (vrat) ? The devotee answers, “like yours, me also have my son, and this fasting is meant for his wellbeing.”
In reply to another question, she says, ” like yours, me also have my husband, and this fasting is meant for him.”
When again asked, she replies this time, “like yours, I also have my daughter, and this fasting is meant for her wellbeing.”
Chhath puja lays stress in removing gender bias from society. Here along with sons , daughters are also considered equally important. One song is very famous for these lines: ” Runki Jhunki Betiya Mangila, Padhal Panditawa Damad, Hey Chhathi Maiya!” ( I urge you O! Mother Chhathi, to bless me with chirpy daughters and scholar son in law) .
So is the greatness of the Indian Hindu women, who keeps praying for the wellbeing of both families, her husband’s as well as that of her parents’.
Conclusion.
Chhath puja is a grand occasion of devotion and finding solace in complete surrender to the divinity.
It is the moment to express gratitude to the benevolence of nature that is too motherly. Sea of devotees gathered near river sides appears to find place in the vast embrace of mother nature.
With their folded hands and joined palms, with their moist eyes looking up to the Sun at the horizon, everyone longs for the blessings of Sun God and Goddess Shashthi (popularly called Chhathi), for the safety and prosperity of their progeny and expresses gratitude to the deities for their blessings.