Chhat is a four-day festival celebrated by the people of Terai region of Nepal each year during the month of Kartik-Mangsir (October – November) on the fourth day of the lunar calendar to commemorate the Sun-god. This festival celebrates the rising and setting of the sun.
A celebration of this festival is held to thank God for supporting life on earth and to ask for the blessings of God’s divine Sun god and his wife. The Hindu religion believes that the sun provides health benefits, progress, positivity, prosperity, longevity, and well-being.
Nepalese celebrate Chhath mostly in the Terai region, which involves holy baths, fasting, abstinence from drinking water (Vratta), standing in water for long periods of time, and making prayers to the setting and rising suns.
The rising and setting sun are worshiped according to Vedic tradition. There is also a belief that bathing and worshipping the Sun heals skin diseases. Furthermore, Chhath practice improves the immune system of the devotee.
History of Chhath Puja
A Chhath Puja is an occasion dedicated to purity, devotion, and offering prayers to Sun God. Its origin is uncertain, but certain beliefs associate it with the Ramayana and Mahabharata epics.
It is believed that Lord Rama initiated Chhath Puja. Lord Rama and Sita observed a fast in honor of the Sun god upon returning to Ayodhyana. The ritual is subsequently evolved in Chhath Puja.
Karna, a famous character from the Mahabharata, is said to be the child of the Sun god and Kunti. It is beleived that Karna used to offer prayers while standing in the water. Another story mentions how Draupadi and the Pandavas also performed similar pujas to restore their kingdom.
Rituals Involved in Chhath Puja
- First day: Nahaye Khaye (first day):
Nahaye Khaye marks the beginning of Chhat Parva, which means bathing and eating. The day is celebrated by cleaning houses, taking baths, and offering prasad to the sun god. Following the offering to Lord Suriya, the whole family eats prasad together.
- Second Day: Rasiaav-Roti or Rasiya Roti:
Chhath Parva’s second day is known as Rasiya Roti or Rasiaav Roti, and it is one of the hardest days of the festival. Devotees do not eat or drink anything until sunset.
As the sun sets on the second day of the festival, devotees break their fast by eating Kheer (rice pudding), Puris, and fruits after presenting offerings to the setting sun in large bodies of water.
The fast continues for two more days without even drinking water.
- Third Day: Sandhya Arghya:
Families and worshipers prepare offerings or “Prasad” at home for the main day of the festival, which is preceded by pujas around the home. Devotees worship the setting sun on this day and make offerings reflecting their beliefs.
Families and worshipers decorate the Arghya with fruits, thekuas, and rice laddus to be offered to the setting sun during the Chhath puja performed along the banks of various water sources during this day.
The devotees also offer jal (‘holy water’) and milk to the setting sun, and after the sun has been worshipped, they perform a Varta Katha and sing songs about Chhathi Maiya.
Fasts are not broken on this day, and are continued until the next day.
- Fourth day: Usha Arghya:
On the final day of the festival, families, and worshippers visit riverbanks before sunrise to offer “Prasad” to the rising sun. Devotees take elders’ blessings after offering prayers to the Sun. The festival concludes after the offerings have been presented and the fast has been broken.
It’s Significance in Nepalese culture
Originally celebrated by the Mithila community in the Terai region of Nepal, Chhath Puja is one of the great festivals that Nepalese love and respect.
Chhat pujas not only bring harmony to society but are also eco-friendly, as they don’t add pollution to the environment. Instead, they appreciate the natural resources, like rivers, being cleaned and decorated.
Practicing Chhath Puja will help in healing the soul and bringing mental purity and peace as well as educating us about respecting what nature has given us freely. The Sun is worshipped at sunrise and sunset, as the Sun’s safe radiation boosts the body’s immunity power during that time.
Devotees can also attain mental peace through Chhath Puja, which eliminates all the negative energy and rage, as well as experience healing and purification through prayer.
Final Words:
Visit Nepal during October/November if you want to experience the charm of Chhath Puja. Enjoy the joy of Tihar, the festival of lights, and then take part in Chhath Puja alongside devotees. Experience Nepal’s festivals, cultures, traditions, and way of life during the festival season with the Himalayan Circuit.
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