By BK Mishra
Chhath is a Hindu festival celebrated each year. People pray to the God of energy, also known as Dala Chhat or Surya Shashti. According to the Hinduism, Sun worship is related to the cure of a range of diseases such as leprosy.
Devotees wake up early in the morning, take bath in the Ganges and keep fast for the whole day without even drinking water. At some places, Chaiti Chhath is also celebrated in the month of Chaitra (March or April) few days after Holi. It is named as chhat because it is celebrated on the sixth day of the month of Kartika.
Chhath puja has a great significance in the Hindu religion and it is assumed that the oldest purohits were requested by the kings to come and perform the traditional puja of the Sun God. They chant the ancient Rigveda texts and a variety of hymns.
It is assumed that Chhatt puja was started by Surya Putra Karna. He was a great warrior and had ruled over the Anga Desh (Munger district of Bihar) during the Mahabharata period. Chhath was celebrated by Draupadi and Pandavas of Hastinapur (New Delhi) for solving their instant problem and regaining their lost kingdom.
Worship of Chhati Maiya (consort of the Lord Surya) is held at Chhath puja, Chhati Maiya is also known as Usha in the Vedas. Usha means dawn (the first light of the day). People pray to Chhati Maiya to overcome their problems as well as to get the Moksha or liberation.
It is believed that the celebration of Chhath puja may predate to the ancient Vedas, as the rituals performed during the puja are similar to the ones mentioned in the Rig Veda, in which the Sun God is worshipped. At the time, the rishis (sages) were also known to worship the Sun and remain without intake of good as they would obtain their energy directly from the sun.
Another history behind celebrating Chhath is the story of Ram. It is believed that Ram and Sita had kept fast and offered puja to the Sun in the month of Kartik in Shukla Paksh during their coronation after returning to the Ayodhya after 14 years in exile. From that time, Chhath became a significant festival.
Many years ago, there was a king named Priyavrat and his wife Malini. They were living very happily but there was a big unhappiness in their life as they had no children. They decided to make a big Yagnya with the help of Maharishi Kashyap in order to be blessed with a child. His wife became pregnant because of the effect of Yagnya. But she gave birth to a dead child after nine months. The king was crestfallen and decided to commit suicide. Suddenly, a goddess appreaed and said, “I am Goddess Shashti, if someone would offer puja to me with pure mind and soul; he would definitely get a child.” The king, Priyavrat did the same and blessed with a very beautiful child. Since then, people started celebrating Chhath puja.
The festival is observed most elaborately in Madhesh (southern) region of Nepal and Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. It is also prevalent in areas where migrants from those areas have a presence. It is celebrated in all northern and northeastern states. In Shillong too, Chhath is celebrated elaborately.
There are six great stages of the Chhath puja which are:
The belief of fast and cleanliness of body on the festival identify detoxification of the body and mind to set them up for accepting the cosmic solar energy.
Standing in water with half of the body submerged diminishes the escape of energy as well as facilitates the prana to elevate to the sushumna.
Then the entrance of cosmic solar
energy takes place in the pineal, pituitary and hypothalamus glands (known as the Triveni complex) by the retina and optic nerves.
In the fourth stage Triveni complex gets activated.
After activation of the Triveni complex, spine gets polarised and the body gets transformed into a cosmic powerhouse and gets the Kundalini Shakti.
At this stage the devotee is fully able to conduct, recycle and pass on the energy to the entire universe.
Scientific significance
Chhath puja has a special significance during sunrise and sunset. Sunrise and sunset are the most important periods of the day during which a human body can safely get the solar energy without any harm. That’s why there is a myth of offering the Sanjhiya Arghya and Bihaniya Arghya to the sun at the Chhath festival.
During this period, the solar energy has low level of ultraviolet radiations. People perform Chhath puja to thank the Lord for continuing the life on the earth as well as to get blessings. The rituals of the puja provide mental calmness by detoxifying the body and mind, enhances the energy level and immunity, and reduces the frequency of anger, jealous as well as lot of negative emotions. It is also believed that following the Chhath processes helps in slowing down ageing. Environmentalists claim that Chhath is the most eco-friendly Hindu festival.